Meet Kito: Johannesburg hospital’s 214th rescued pangolin

A young male pangolin named Kito, meaning ‘precious jewel’, was saved from suspected wildlife traffickers on Thursday after they allegedly tried to sell him for R80 000 in the Free State. The provincial spokesperson for the Hawks, Lieutenant Colonel Zweli Mohobeleli, said members of the Hawks Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit and the Welkom Anti-Gang Unit received information about suspects allegedly selling a pangolin, reportedCaxton Network News. “The information was operationalised.

Four suspects driving in a blue Toyota Quest were caught red-handed trying to sell one pangolin for R80 000,” he says. They were immediately placed under arrest and the pangolin [was] handed over to authorities for safekeeping. The suspects, aged between 47 and 62, were arrested and charged with contravening the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act 10 of 2004 and the Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962.

They were due to appear in the Welkom Magistrate’s Court today (June 5). Kito was handed over to Virginia SPCA senior inspector Ernest Khakhau and field officer Mandela Phakira for safekeeping and treatment at the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital. Kito is the 214thtrafficked pangolin to be treated at the hospital.

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Dr Karin Lourens says when he arrived at the hospital, he was thin, dehydrated and covered in wounds and bruises.Lourens adds that he was given specialist veterinary care and that Kito is now recovering in a heated room at a secure off-site location. “The next few days will be critical for his recovery, but we are cautiously optimistic that with intensive care and monitoring, he will make a full recovery,” she says.

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