The biggest threat facing Africa’s wildlife today is habitat loss! This is one of Working with Wildlife‘s challenges. Growing human settlements continue to encroach on wilderness areas, and this is leading to a dramatic increase in human/wildlife conflicts. One such species being impacted is the most trafficked mammal in the world.
Working with Wildlife are thrilled to share some exciting news from their conservation project that they believe will make you just as enthusiastic as they are.
Working with Wildlife has recently released a rescued pangolin, brought in by North West Nature Conservation, onto the Khamab Kalahari Reserve. It had which had been rescued from the illegal wildlife trade and the team is happy to report that the animal’s progress so far has been remarkable.
This animal was rescued from poachers in the North West province and was promptly taken to the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital for care and rehabilitation to ensure he would be in a suitable condition for release.
Given that pangolins are known to struggle when released into new environments, the team are following a stringent release protocol which has been developed based on a wealth of knowledge from previous releases elsewhere in the country. They will continue to follow this protocol and monitor his condition accordingly to ensure that he has the best possible chance of successful reintegration.
This release also forms part of active research undertaken by Kudu Meyer, which contributes to the development of pangolin release procedures and a greater understanding of these unique mammals.
The reserve has put in immense efforts to create a safe and nurturing environment for the naturally occurring wildlife, and while they are aware that there is already a wild pangolin population on the reserve (the extent of which remains unknown), they hope that the reserve will serve as the release destination for more pangolins fortunate enough to have been saved from the trade.
“While the release progress so far has been near perfect, and the animal continues to improve in condition almost daily, for the time being, we have decided to keep this away from social media until we are further satisfied with the outcome of the release. However, we are excited to share the news with our partners” says Working with Wildlife Director, Gary Schneider
The Kalahari conservation project has long expressed interest in contributing to the reserve’s pangolin, and they hope the introduction of this first animal kick-starts this process.
What makes this achievement even more extraordinary is the active participation of their valued guests in monitoring the reintroduced pangolin. Something you too can get involved in…if you are lucky. All you need to do is join their conservation experience.
“Not only have they shown genuine interest in learning about these unique animals, but they have also played a crucial role in ensuring the success of the release. Our guests’ involvement has allowed us to gather valuable data (some guests even contributed to the animal’s satellite tag), which will be instrumental in refining our conservation strategies for the future. As per the stringent release protocols in place to ensure the animal has the best possible chance of successful reintegration into the wild, the monitoring of this animal is expected to continue over the coming months” says Working with Wildlife Director, Gary Schneider
The Working with Wildlife team owes much of this accomplishment to their incredible partners, whose unwavering support has made it possible for us to take this giant leap forward in our mission. Sponsor and partner commitment to conservation has been a driving force behind their actions, and they couldn’t be more grateful for their collaborative efforts.
Watch this space for more updates!
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