Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo’s veterinarians, Dr Katja Koepel and Dr Francois Le Grange, together with acting hospital manager, Bishop Ngobeli, were requested to provide critical care for the leopard that was airlifted to the Charlotte Maxeke Hospital’s helipad in Johannesburg on 24 September.
According to a statement made by Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo, earlier this week, John Power of North West Nature Conservation advised zoo officials that a collared leopard released into the wild was reported as being unusually stationary.
She was then located and found entrapped in a snare – probably meant for antelope.
The team at Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo collected her in a crate within 25 minutes of receiving the request, and rushed her to the Johannesburg Zoo’s veterinary hospital.
At the hospital she was stabilised, received fluids, medication and her large wound, which cut through all the muscles, was sutured during the two-hour procedure.
The leopard, which is also pregnant, is in a stable but critical condition and will remain in hospital until fully recovered. It will only be released once nature conservation officials find a suitable recuperation site.
Managing director of Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo, Bulumko Nelana, commended all nature conservation officials at Leopards for the Future, North West Nature Conservation and Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo for their quick action and amazing dedication in saving the leopard.
