Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital

04/09/2025

Big or small, we save them all.

At the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital, there is no such thing as an insignificant patient. Every life - no matter how big or small, how familiar or unusual - is worth saving.

Eight months ago, our hospital admitted just over 200 animals as part of a massive illegal possession and cruelty case. Among them was one of the tiniest victims: a little scorpion, just a few centimetres long, with a big name.

Meet the Drab thicktail scorpion (Parabuthus planicauda)!

Despite her fierce reputation and painful sting, this feisty patient was treated with the same top-class care as any pangolin, genet, or owl that comes through our doors. Over months of careful nursing she grew strong again — and this week, with her own DESTEA permit secured, she made the nearly 7-hour journey back to a safe place in the wild.

Because she is also an expectant mother, a lot of thought and planning went into her release site to give her - and her soon-to-arrive scorplings - the very best chance of survival.

No animal should ever pay the price for human greed.
No effort will ever be spared in giving our patients the chance to heal.

And no species is too small for us to fight for.
Here at JWVH, we will continue to right the wrongs when animals suffer at human hands, one patient at a time.

Please support us - no donation is ever too small:
https://www.johannesburgwildlifevet.com/make-a-donation.html

31/08/2025

A snack with a purpose!

This little Angoni vlei rat youngster is happily enjoying its EmerAid Herbivore mix - and we couldn’t be more grateful to EmerAid for sponsoring this vital nutrition for our wildlife patients.

At the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital, we treat everything from the tiniest rodents to pangolins, owls, bats, tortoises and more. Every single patient needs specialised food, medication, and care - which means our running costs are always high.

If you’d like to help us continue saving South Africa’s wildlife, please consider donating. Every bit truly makes a difference!

👉 Support us here: https://www.johannesburgwildlifevet.com/make-a-donation.html

17/08/2025

Please note: all pangolins are kept offsite at a secure and protected location.

Not long ago, a young pangolin named Faith was rescued from the grip of the illicit wildlife trade and brought into our care at the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital.

She arrived weakened, injured, and suffering from the effects of having gone without food or water for far too long.Every pangolin has their own unique personality, and Faith is no exception.

She’s a happy-go-lucky little soul who has quickly stolen our hearts. In fact, she’s already figured out how to use the baby monitor in her room to get our attention - a clever trick that ensures she never has to feel alone again.

Thanks to our incredible team, and with the vital nutritional support provided through our EmerAid sponsorship, Faith is steadily regaining her strength. Each small step forward is a reminder of why this work matters.

But we can’t do it without you. Poached pangolins suffer terribly and every life saved is a victory against extinction. Our hospital exists to right the wrongs that befall our precious wildlife and your support makes rescues and recoveries like Faith’s possible.

If you’d like to be part of rewriting stories like Faith’s, please consider supporting JWVH. Together, we can give these remarkable animals a second chance at life.

Please click here to donate to our cause:

https://www.johannesburgwildlifevet.com/make-a-donation.html

09/08/2025

🌸 Happy Women’s Day, South Africa! 🌸

At the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital, we are proud to have an almost all-female team. Every day, these remarkable women pour their dedication, skill, and passion into caring for some of our country’s most vulnerable wildlife.

Today, we celebrate their strength, compassion, and unwavering commitment — and we thank each of them for making a difference where it matters most. 💚

29/07/2025

Thank you!

We are so grateful to Hot Cares and HOT 102.7 FM for sponsoring a second veterinarian for December and January.
Your support allowed us to continue our work helping South Africa’s wild animals in need.
Thank you for making such a difference!
And to top it off, Dr Jess has decided to join us on a permanent basis! We cannot be happier!

24/07/2025

Rush Hour Rescue!

Just your average Wednesday morning in Lonehill… or not!

At 08h30, while most were dodging taxis and traffic lights, our team was dodging the sharp end of a young (and very lost) porcupine who was dashing across Lonehill Boulevard – during peak hour traffic, of course.

The Johannesburg Wildlife Vet Hospital ladies pulled out their best action-hero impressions: stopping cars, herding traffic, and coaxing the prickly pedestrian to safety.

Thankfully, our little spiky friend was gently corralled, crated and taken in for a check-up, a snack, and a much-needed nap!

Please click here to see all the different ways you can help us continue our work:
https://www.johannesburgwildlifevet.com/make-a-donation.html

13/07/2025

Meet Shumi – Our 202nd Pangolin!

(Please note that all pangolins are kept offsite at a secure location)

Last week, we admitted our 202nd pangolin — a young female we’ve affectionately named Shumi. She arrived in a sorry state: traumatized, dehydrated, underweight, and with foul-smelling, infected wounds hidden beneath her precious scales.

Our team jumped into action immediately, stabilizing her condition and treating her injuries. From the start, Shumi made it very clear that she wasn’t impressed by any of us — her feisty attitude was impossible to ignore! But over time, she began to relax and slowly started to trust us… although not without giving us a good runaround during her foraging walks.

It became evident that Shumi had very particular tastes — she preferred ants found around the base of trees, a species unfortunately not in abundance at our pangolin walking site. Foraging is a critical part of pangolin rehabilitation, as these remarkable animals do not eat from bowls in captivity.

Thankfully, true conservation doesn’t happen in isolation. Our dedicated partners, Dr Debbie English (Provet Animal Hospital) and Emma de Jager (Umoya Khulula Wildlife Centre), stepped in to help. Not only do they have the exact ants Shumi prefers, but they also have the deep expertise and commitment needed to continue her rehabilitation journey.

Shumi’s story is yet another reminder that collaboration is the key to conservation. Without our trusted pangolin partners, we simply couldn’t do this work — and it’s thanks to this shared dedication that Shumi has a real chance at healing and freedom.

10/07/2025

🌍✈️ Dr K heads to Liberia!

We’re proud to share that Dr Karin Lourens (Dr K), our founder and lead veterinarian, will be volunteering her veterinary skills at Libassa Wildlife Sanctuary in Liberia for the next month, while their resident vet, Dr Manon Dorny, takes a well-earned break.

This meaningful collaboration brings together Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital, Libassa Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Tikki Hywood Foundation (Cameroon) — a powerful partnership driven by a shared commitment to wildlife conservation, especially the protection of Africa’s vulnerable pangolins.

Libassa cares for a wide range of indigenous Liberian wildlife, but has a particular focus on the rehabilitation of white-bellied and black-bellied pangolins. Dr K’s extensive experience treating the Temminck’s pangolin and such a wide variety of wild animals played a key role in her being selected for the role when the volunteer locum position was advertised.

🙏 Dr K’s travel and stay are generously covered by Libassa Wildlife Sanctuary, enabling this important knowledge exchange to happen. While she’s away, the veterinary team at JWVH will continue seamlessly under the skilled hands of Dr Jess and Dr Dani.

🤝 Conservation is not something we can do alone. True impact comes from collaboration — sharing skills, supporting one another, and strengthening networks across countries and continents. This partnership is a great example of how working together can make a real difference for the world’s most trafficked mammal.

Stay tuned for updates from Liberia! 🌿🐾

06/07/2025

Daring Sinkhole Rescue: Owls Saved by Excavator!

The massive 60m-wide and 15m deep sinkhole in Rooipoort, Carltonville, was already a major hazard — but when Lerula Construction arrived to fill it, they found something even more urgent. A clutch of four tiny owl chicks had been nested in a limestone cavern at the bottom of the crumbling sinkhole. Even more concerning, opportunistic poachers were trying to sn**ch them!

The Lerula team quickly scared the would-be kidnappers off — but they knew the owlets wouldn’t be safe for long.

Enter Keagan… and a giant excavator.

In a daring move, Keagan climbed into the excavator bucket and was carefully lowered down into the sinkhole. With steady hands and nerves of steel, he gently placed the four chicks into the bucket beside him. Within minutes, the team was back on solid ground — and Keagan and PJ were racing the rescued owlets to Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital for care.

Sometimes the right tool is the biggest one you’ve got!
Thank you, Lerula team, for being true wildlife heroes!

See a photo of the four beauties in the comments.

26/06/2025

Pangolin conservation is not a photo opportunity. It’s a 24-hour commitment.

True conservation is not just taking cute photos or filming “documentaries.” It’s relentless, often heartbreaking work that doesn’t stop when the cameras do.

It starts with law enforcement, who risk their lives to apprehend poachers. Then comes the intensive veterinary care—sometimes lasting weeks or months—followed by rehabilitation, and if we’re lucky, a release back into the wild.

But that’s not the end. Behind every confiscation is a legal case. Veterinary teams write expert reports—each one taking hours. We spend days traveling to and from court. Cases are often postponed; some drag on for years. Yesterday, Dr K testified in a 2022 case. Just last month—one from 2020. Our current record? 31 court appearances for a single case.

These cases matter. They give voice to the voiceless.

Yesterday, Dr K spoke about Scarlett and Miah—two pregnant pangolins rescued from poachers. We fought for them—41 days for Scarlett, 72 for Miah (the photos are of them). Despite our best efforts, we couldn’t undo the trauma they endured. We mourn them daily, but we carry their stories into the courtroom, ensuring justice is sought.

Conservation is blood, sweat, and tears. It’s costly - emotionally and financially. But we don’t give up. Ever.

Thank you to those who stand beside us and recognise the work that goes unseen.

If you’d like to help us continue - support our veterinary and legal work by sponsoring a case or making a donation:

https://www.johannesburgwildlifevet.com/make-a-donation.html

25/06/2025

Expert care is non-negotiable. All our staff have tertiary qualifications in animal related fields and we strive to always provide the highest standard of care.
Please help us to help them and support us by donating to our cause: https://www.johannesburgwildlifevet.com/make-a-donation.html

Good Things Guy

Behind every rescued wild baby is a team of experts fighting for its future, one bottle, one heartbeat, one tiny step at a time. Neonates...

12/06/2025

Emergency Admission: Barn Owl 🦉

Last week, this beautiful barn owl was brought to us by the Alberton SPCA after he was found grounded next to a road, unable to fly.

Radiographs later confirmed what we suspected—he had suffered a painful fracture to his humerus (the bone in the upper wing), most likely after being hit by a car. When he arrived, he was in shock and severe pain. Stabilizing him was our first priority before we could safely proceed with further diagnostics the next day.

Once stable, Dr K (surgery) and Dr Jess (anaesthesia) performed an intricate orthopaedic procedure. They placed an intramedullary pin along with three external fixator pins—a combination known as a hybrid fixator. This method is ideal for wild avian patients: it’s lightweight, allows the wing to move freely post-surgery, and avoids the need for restrictive bandages or extensive physiotherapy—reducing stress and human handling.

Throughout the process, our patient received IV fluids, strong pain relief, and anti-inflammatories. And here’s the best news: that same evening, he tucked into all three of his dead mice with enthusiasm!

We’re cautiously optimistic that this owl will make a full recovery and take to the skies again soon—where he belongs.

As always, our work is only possible because of your support. We’re a non-profit wildlife hospital, and every donation helps us provide lifesaving care to animals like this.

💚 Please consider supporting our work:

https://www.johannesburgwildlifevet.com/make-a-donation.html