Amy Clark of Scales Conservation Fund told the Herald that when a pangolin called Artie was rescued in August 2021 and became a benefactor of the conservation fund, he had been held in captivity for at least eight or nine days. “Captive pangolins are generally held in cramped conditions without access to drinking water or food and this was no exception for poor little Artie. “He was found emaciated and dehydrated and was rushed straight to intensive care.”
They also found him to be suffering from pneumonia. “It was touch and go as Artie spent a week in intensive care, but our amazing vet, Dr. Debbie English at Provet Animal Hospital, was able to pull him through and get him stable enough to begin his rehabilitation journey at Umoya Khulula Wildlife Centre,” Clarke said Artie grew from strength to strength over the months and that the rehabilitation team has learnt a lot from watching him grow.
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“After ten months at the centre, he began his ‘soft release’, where he could establish his own territory in a wild area but still, be monitored very closely as he adjusted to his new surroundings,” she added. He was still being monitored regularly when in August last year, a year after he arrived at the centre, the team found him with severe open wounds on his back legs. He was again rushed to the closest veterinary hospital for emergency treatment until he was stable enough to be transferred back to the centre.
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“We believe he was attacked by a leopard while feeding or making his way into a burrow. He defended himself with his strong tail and rolled into a ball to protect his soft underbelly which most definitely saved his life.” After a month of treatment, he was taken back to his original release site where he is doing very well. The Scales fund relies solely on donations and it can cost an average of R70 000 to rehabilitate and release one animal.
“While pangolins are the most trafficked species in the illegal wildlife trade, they are also the least known about globally and when it comes to fighting for these unique scaly little mammals, raising awareness is key,” she concluded.
**All pangolins are housed and treated off-site at undisclosed secure locations for their safety and the safety of our team**
