JWVH warns residents not to keep wild animals as pets

The Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital in Glenferness is assisting a lesser bushbaby (galago moholi), which was advertised on social media to be exchanged for a cell phone.

Wildlife rehabilitation specialist and director of the hospital Nicci Wright said that the Bloemfontein SPCA contacted the seller, educating them that their actions were illegal in not only keeping indigenous wildlife, but also in attempting to sell the wildlife.

Wright said that the bushbaby arrived at the hospital underweight, but over the last few weeks she has been introduced to her natural diet and had progressively gained weight.

She said that South Africa’s southernmost population of the lesser bushbaby is in the Craigavon and Chartwell areas. “Unfortunately, their habitat is rapidly diminishing due to development and the removal of the riverine canopy, which previously acted like a corridor. They would have traversed back along this route towards Magaliesburg where it is much warmer for them in winter time.”,

She explained that the bushbaby will go into a soft release programme in a suitable and safe habitat, probably after the first spring rains, when there are insects available.

Wright warned residents, “We would like to repeat our message that wild animals should not be kept as pets. As appealing as these bushbabies may seem, they are active only at night being nocturnal, they also urinate on their hands constantly to mark their territory and always end up biting. “Keeping them as a pet completely limits them from every aspect of what they require to be a fulfilled, wild animal.”