Lucky break as bushpig lands at Crow
Hoyte added that bushpigs are sometimes sold for bush meat, as pets and or "just to make a quick buck" from someone who wants to rescue the animal from its grim fate.
A BABY impala was taken to the Centre of Rehabilitation for Wildlife (Crow) on Saturday, 5 April.
He was found entangled in a boundary fence at Stainbank Nature Reserve. “Fortunately, the team at Kenneth Stainbank were quick to cut the distressed youngster free and rush him through to our centre. After being treated for some minor lacerations and given a long lasting antibiotic, he was safely returned to his very anxious mother,” said Crow marketing and communications officer, Paul Hoyte.
In a separate rescue, the Crow team went out to collect a baby bushpig on Thursday, 9 April.
Brody, as he’s been named was found abandoned. “With bushpig currently being heavily targeted by the illegal bush meat trade, we prefer not to chance it and disclose where little Brody came from,” said Hote. Brody was found severely dehydrated from having been away from his mother for over 24 hours. Brody is gulping down his milk bottles and slowly regaining his strength. Now safely in our clinic team’s care, Brody will be hand-reared until he is old enough to be released and fend for himself in the wild,” he said.
Hoyte added that bushpigs are sometimes sold for bush meat, as pets and or “just to make a quick buck” from someone who wants to rescue the animal from its grim fate. He says bushpigs do tend to get targeted especially for bush meat as they grow to be extremely large, providing the hunters with a lot to work with. Any and all unregulated and unsanctioned hunting is and always will be a threat to biodiversity.
