Tiny patient with a big appetite.
One of our current patients is a fledgeling amethyst sunbird. These little birds grow to an adult weight of around 15g (the equivalent of 3 teaspoons of water!).
They have insanely fast metabolisms and need feeding almost every 30 mins when young.
Hotel de JWVH is happy to oblige and we cater for any and all appetites. In this case they mainly eat insects when nestlings, and later on start eating nectar as well.
Our little one is old enough to feed himself (sort of) and he is fed a mixture of EmerAidVet carnivore (a specialist carnivore diet high in easily digestible proteins, fats etc) and fruit purity (to simulate the nectar bit).
As you can see he LOVES his mix! Make sure you watch for his long tongue darting in and out to slurp up all the yummy things.
A flash of light in the dark world of wildlife trade.
An incorrect media statement published by the DPCI on Tuesday the 1st of October wrongly claimed the arrests of poachers and the rescue of a pangolin by a multi law enforcement task team. The facts are very different!
On Sunday 29 September, a speedy response from a small team of just 4 people (our own operations lead Wendy Willson, Sandton SPCA Inspector Ronald Ramalata and just two officers from the Johannesburg SAPS K9 Unit) resulted in the sucsessful rescue of Peggy the pangolin and the efficient tracing and arrest of the two Botswana nationals who had smuggled her over the border to sell her. This team of 4 had carried out the entire operation on their own and in just a couple of hours!
The sweet little pangolin was rushed straight to our hospital and treated for shock and dehydration. A full panel of blood tests and a CT scan a few days later confirmed that Peggy had made a full recovery, partly due to her speedy rescue and she was cleared to start her soft release.
Once again Menno Parsons stepped in and offered to fly Dr K, Peggy and her carer, Donald Davis, to her release site at no cost.
The skilled Master Power Technologies pilots, Willie and Martin, touched down with their precious cargo on Thursday morning and Peggy took her first deep breaths of freedom once again!
A huge thank you to the actual heroes of this rescue mentioned above who never ever fail to heed the call to animal action.
Sandton SPCA
Master Power Technologies
Mandela Day with a difference!
For Mandela day, we have a very urgent appeal.
We desperately need you to do 67 minutes of …
well nothing really!
We would like our friends, followers and supporters to forgo the hype and spend 67 minutes outside today, appreciating our country’s stunning fauna and flora heritage.
Whether you live in bush, suburbia or a rural village, take a moment to watch our urban birds in the trees or appreciate a wild creature that may cross your path. We are so very fortunate to still be able to share our daily lives with some very unique wild creatures in South Africa. We often forget how lucky we are living in a country with such diversity of wildlife, where we can see anything from a dove, a gecko, a mongoose or even pangolins and elephants.
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela had a very real respect for nature and we ask that you take a photo and share your nature moment in our comments.
Video is of Harley, a mature male pangolin that was released recently.
Myth busters: The instincts within...
Our post tonight is about busting one of the most common myths and misconceptions surrounding the rehabilitation and release of carnivorous wildlife raised by hand.
Myth: Carnivorous animals and birds of prey must be fed live prey animals to learn how to hunt.
Busted: There are a myriad of facts that debunk this myth but let's use a practical example. These 5 barn owl chicks arrived on 9 December 2023, and our team, well-versed in the needs of owlets, started them on a diet of small dead prey items. Despite the widespread belief that young predators need to practice on live prey to learn how to hunt, our team knew better. We understand that hunting is an instinctual behavior, hardwired into these magnificent birds, and our job is to ensure optimum health and fitness.
When the time came, all of the owls were ringed for easy identification and then moved to a soft-release enclosure in Muldersdrift. Here Kevin Solomon and Riva Harti fed them in their enclosure while they acclimatized to their new environment - such as the way of the weather, the new sights and sounds and the different types of animal neighbors. It wasn’t long before the enclosure door could be opened and the young owls could start to explore their new home.
During a soft release process, the enclosure remains open and food is still provided every evening, until the owls become self sufficient.
The owls thrived, and today, 6 months later, they are still seen around the area, proving that their hunting skills were innate, not taught through live feeding.
Kevin and Riva still put out the odd food item, and their awesome cameras have picked up these same owls coming past for the occasional snack.
In South Africa, our law in terms of the Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962, prohibits the feeding of live animals to other animals, prioritizing humane and ethical treatment of all creatures.
Share the joy!
Last year we introduced you to three teeny serval kittens - their eyes were still closed when they arrived! (We have shared a few of their early photos in the comments section)
Today we share with you the joy of their release! As soon as the door opened, they immediately started hunting and playing in the long grass. There is no denying the sheer joy they are experiencing!
Most people think that wild cats (and other predators) need to be taught how to hunt, and has to be fed live prey for this.
This is simply not true!
Their wild instincts are all they need, and we as care takers just need to know how to imitate what happens in the wild. The correct soft release process is essential, and undoubtedly successful if done by experts.
As for the live prey question again: take the average pet cat, they have been domesticated for thousands of years, yet they know how to hunt instinctively. No one had to teach them…
This video was taken almost three months ago and all three of the serval are still observed and they are all thriving.
This is what successful wildlife rehabilitation is all about.
Please remember that we are a non profit organization and we would love your assistance.
Click on this link to help us help them:
https://www.johannesburgwildlifevet.com/make-a-donation.html
Flying free again.
This beautiful jackal buzzard (Buteo rufofuscus) was admitted in early February 2024. This particular bird was a well known and loved resident in the area and was rushed to Bethlehem Dierehospitaal after having been found grounded on a reserve near Fouriesburg. Radiographs confirmed a concerning fracture of his right radius and he was then transferred to our facility for treatment and rehabilitation.
The fracture’s close proximity to the elbow joint (see the arrow on the photo), can result in the joint fusing as the fracture heals, making future flight impossible - bad news for this lord of the skies.
The wing was stabilized and the cartilage callous forming across the fracture line was monitored to ensure that the elbow joint remained fully mobile. A regular pain management protocol was implemented to ensure that he was comfortable, and the brave bird went from strength to strength never passing up a meal.
As you can see in the video, our lad is almost perfectly flighted once again and he is back on the reserve where he came from ready to be released!
Jackal buzzards are iconic birds and they are aptly named for their strange jackal like vocalization.
We are overjoyed to see him take to the skies and fly so beautifully once again.
You can support us through the following channels:
SnapScan: https://pos.snapscan.io/qr/PXMP5766
Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=SA4BETJ869EG2
PayFast: https://www.payfast.co.za/donate/go/shop.johannesburgwildlifevet.com
Or by direct bank deposit:
Johannesburg Wildlife NPC
FNB Cheque account
Account nr: 62658400264
Branch code: 255355
Swift code: FIRNZAJJ
We treat indigenous animals free of charge, relying solely on the donations and support of our community.
#KeepingItWild #MakingADifference
www.johannesburgwildlifevet.com
With the help of Potato the Rock hyrax, the winner of the autumn themed cake, generously donated by Lorraine Rautenbach, has been selected…
…. AND THE WINNER IS……. Carolyn!
MASSIVE thank you to everyone who entered, and CONGRATULATIONS Carolyn 🤩
We treat indigenous wildlife free of charge, relying solely on the support of our community.
#KeepingItWild #MakingADifference
www.johannesburgwildlifevet.com
It’s WORLD WILDLIFE DAY today, serving as a reminder that we are part of a larger ecosystem and that our precious wildlife are part of that ecosystem too. Under threat from poaching and humans encroaching on wildlife habitats, our indigenous wildlife need us now more than ever.
We always say, and will always maintain that wildlife conservation is a team effort. It involves everyone’s involvement to ensure the sustainability of our wildlife and to ensure that all the animals we love and enjoy are around for future generations to appreciate too. In the smallest ways, we can all make a difference. Whether donating to ethical permitted wildlife rehab centres, progressing studies in wildlife conservation (as the student or the sponsor!), volunteering, educating, sharing posts from reputable organisations, etc.. there are so many ways to #MakeADifference and to be part of a future that honours and protects our precious wildlife.
We would love your support in contributing to our wildlife conservation efforts:
Johannesburg Wildlife NPC
FNB Cheque account
Account nr: 62658400264
Branch code: 255355
Swift code: FIRNZAJJ
We treat indigenous animals free of charge, relying solely on the donations and support of our community.
#keepingitwild #makingadifference
www.johannesburgwildlifevet.com
📷: Sarah Kempen
THANK YOU to everyone who donated #OneMeal (or more!) for little Potato the rock hyrax (Procavia capensis). We SO appreciate the support and could not do the work we do, without you. To see your donation in action, check out this video. Watch until the end to see him enjoying some greens now too, as well as his happy hops!
For the original post, click here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/UptPt72iDSPnj6Wv/?mibextid=WC7FNe
We treat indigenous animals free of charge, relying solely on the donations and support of our community.
#keepingitwild #makingadifference
www.johannesburgwildlifevet.com
📷: Sarah Kempen
RECENT RELEASES: We love our day-to-day work.. admissions, medical treatments, cleaning cages, feeding, providing enrichment, preparing for court cases... and releases! With our team being kept very busy, we don't always share the story of every patient, however, that doesn't make the patient or their release day any less special to us.
Included here are:
- An aurora house snake (Lamprophis aurora) who was found in a residential area, and needed relocation to a safer spot away from domestic pets. We don't often see aurora's as often as we see other snakes, and it was lovely to admire her beauty for her short stay with us.
- A sub-adult hadada ibis (Bostrychia hagedash) who came in after flying into a sliding door and suffering concussion. After a few days of TLC, this hadada was released back to the garden it came from where its parents were waiting for his return.
- A sub-adult slender mongoose (Galerella sanguinea) who was found in a residential garden and needed to be relocated due to domestic animals presenting as a threat. Thankfully no injuries were present, and this mongoose had a short stay, followed by a FAST release!
- A dispersing adult male vervet monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) caught by the SPCA Randburg. After ensuring there were no injuries needing medical attention, this vervet was released into a safe area, outside of the city.
- A terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) found on a residential road was dropped off by a concerned member of public. Being in a healthy state, the terrapin was released in a nearby stream.
We hope this short video clip of a few recent releases brings you as much joy as it does our team!
We treat indigenous animals free of charge, relying solely on the donations and support of our community.
#keepingitwild #makingadifference
www.johannesburgwildlifevet.com
Happy #WorldPangolinDay to everyone who contributes to conservation of the WORLD’s MOST POACHED MAMMAL. Together, in unity, we believe we can save this species from extinction.
It doesn't take much for a pangolin to creep into your heart, and to enthral anyone who is lucky enough to meet one. Our hospital usually only sees a pangolin when they have spent weeks in the illegal trade, often without food or water, and in need of urgent veterinary care. However, we are grateful that our specialist care can assist this species, both for their veterinary treatment as well as for their rehabilitation. Thank you to everyone who collaborate with us, both in South-Africa and across all the pangolin range states world wide.
Please share with us this small glimpse into the lives of some of our pangolin patients from 2023.
We treat indigenous animals free of charge, relying solely on the donations and support of our community.
IUCN Pangolin Specialist Group #worldpangolinday #keepingitwild #makingadifference
www.johannesburgwildlifevet.com
