VN October 2020

Vetnews | October 2020 7 There is further evidence of the illegal trade in pangolin species openly on social media platforms such as Facebook. The intense global trafficking of the species means the entire order ( Pholidota ) is threatened with extinction. For example, the Temminck’s pangolins ( Smutsia temminckii ) went extinct in South Africa’s KwaZulu Natal Province three decades ago. Reintroduction of an extinct species Each year in South Africa the African Pangolin Working Group (APWG) retrieves between 20 and 40 pangolins through intelligence operations with security forces. These pangolins are often traumatised and injured and are admitted to the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital for extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation before they can be considered for release. In 2019, seven rescued Temminck’s pangolins were reintroduced into South Africa’s Phinda Private Game Reserve in the KwaZulu Natal Province. Nine months on, five have survived. This reintroduction is a world first for a region that last saw a viable population of this species in the 1980s. During the release, every individual pangolin followed a strict regime. They needed to become familiar with their new surroundings and be able to forage efficiently. Previous releases, including early on in South Africa and in other countries such as the Philippines, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Thailand had minimal post-release monitoring. Pangolins released immediately following medical treatment had a low level of survival for various reasons, including inability to adapt to their release sites. A ‘soft release’ in to the wild The process on Phinda game reserve involved a more gentle ease into re-wilding a population in a region that had not seen pangolins for many decades. The soft release had two phases: • a pre-release observational period • an intensive monitoring period post release employing GPS satellite as well as VHF tracking tags. The pre-release period lastedbetween two to threeweeks andwere characterised by daily walks (three to five hours) of individuals on the reserves. These walks were critical for acclimatising individuals to the local habitat, its sounds, smells and possible threats. It also helped them source suitable and sufficient ant and termite species for food. Following that, the post release period of two to three months involved locating released pangolins daily at first, and then twice per week where they were weighed, a rapid health assessment was made and habitat features such as burrows and refuges monitored. Phinda reserve manager Simon Naylor said: A key component of the post release period was whether individuals gained or maintained their weight. The way the animals move after release also reveals important clues to whether they will stay in an area; if they feed, roll in dung, enter burrows. Much of this behaviour indicates site fidelity and habitat acceptance. Following nine months of monitoring and tracking, five of the seven survived in the region. One died of illness while the other was killed by a Nile crocodile. Leading Article Pangolins curl up into a tight ball of scales. (Alex Braczkowski) A satellite tag is fitted to each pangolin before release and transmits its location on an hourly basis. (Alex Braczkowski) >>> 8