Dead pangolin highlights reality of poaching crisis
Poachers sealed the animal's fate by removing its claws while it was still alive.
Pangolins are taken from the wild as their scales are used in many traditional medicines, and they are also seen as a delicacy. File image.
During August, news of a poached pangolin reached the team at the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital (JWVH).
While the rescue of live pangolins during sting operations is nothing new, this case was different. Although the animal was alive, poachers had sealed its fate by removing its claws.
The JWVH team tried their best to save the animal in the hope that his claws would grow back – if they did, he could be returned to the wild – but to no avail.
Pangolins are taken from the wild as their scales are used in many traditional medicines, and they are also seen as a delicacy. The demand on the African continent has increased as pangolins in Asia have been subject to poaching for much longer.
Poaching pangolins from the wild is mostly orchestrated by international syndicates.
Read more about the plight of this pangolin and other interesting conservation stories in the latest Safari News.
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