Injured blesbok saved from roadside poachers
Within hours of arriving at Crow, the blesbok suffered a medical emergency and had to be treated by a veterinarian.
A blesbok is recovering at the Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife (Crow) after it was saved by a Good Samaritan who noticed it being sold by roadside poachers who tried to exploit his beauty for the muti trade.
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The remarkable animal, which is indigenous to South Africa, found himself entangled in the sad situation and when Crow received the rescue call, they discovered him in a state of distress, bearing a wound on his forehead and severely dehydrated.
The centre’s operations director, Clint Halkett-Siddall, said the dedicated team administered essential care, providing him with much-needed oral fluids when they found him.
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“Twenty-four hours after arriving at Crow, he developed myopathy and he could not walk. We rushed him to our vet, who stabilised him and kept him overnight, before returning him to the centre, where our clinic nurse is currently keeping a vigilant watch over his progress and well-being,” said Halkett-Siddall.
The centre encourages residents who encounter similar situations, where wildlife animals are being poached or sold, to contact them or their local SPCA so incidents can be stopped and curbed.
To report animal cruelty, abuse, poaching or the illegal sale of animals, call Crow on 031 462 1127 or the Durban and Coast SPCA on 031 579 6500.
Did you know?
The blesbok is a subspecies endemic to South Africa, Eswatini and Namibia. It has a distinctive white face and forehead.
The blesbok was hunted nearly to extinction because of its large numbers, but having been protected since the late 19th century, it has proliferated, and today it is sufficiently numerous not to be classed as endangered.
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