Three travellers ordered an Uber to transport them from Sandton to Pretoria. As the driver began the journey, he noticed that their suitcase was moving. Growing suspicious, the driver stopped the car at a police roadblock (there was high police presence in the area due to the BRICS summit). The police opened the suitcase and found a Temminck’s pangolin inside! To potentially escape trouble, the suspects allegedly remarked during this interaction that the animal occurs all over, just like a chicken does. The suspects were arrested and taken to the nearest police station. Sandton SPCA inspector Godfrey Mnguni rushed out to assist the police and called the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital to meet him at Bramley police station to complete the necessary paperwork and take custody of the visibly terrified pangolin.
When examined at the hospital in Fourways it was found that the sub-adult female pangolin was pregnant. She also had sustained injuries to her two front claws – most likely from trying to escape from what she was held captive in. She also had damage to the scales on her back. Initially, to reintroduce food to her system, the veterinary team tube-fed her.
Inspector Mnguni said, “We don’t have stats for the wildlife that may be being trafficked, this was just one of the many we are trying to discover. I am just glad this driver had the sense to stop and help rescue this one.”
Related article:
https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/333148/a-new-years-calendar-aims-to-raise-funds/
https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/326614/adopt-a-pet-from-the-sandton-spca-14/
