Vetnews | Julie 2024 10 « BACK TO CONTENTS Lily’s ordeal started when she was ripped away from her “normal” by ruthless poachers in September 2020. She was kept in captivity - with no food or water and lying in her urine and faeces, cold and terrified - for days before she was confiscated from poachers and brought in for emergency stabilization and treatment. Not only was she in an extremely compromised state, emaciated, dehydrated and traumatized but carrying a tiny new life inside her as well. After a lengthy period of extremely intensive treatment in the hospital and a long and gruelling road of rehabilitation, Lily was finally released back into the wild and although we suspect she had a miscarriage she would be able to be a wild and free pangolin again. She would be safe. On the 26th of September, however, devastation struck as we got word that a pangolin had been poached. Lily was brought to us on the 26th of September 2021 after being confiscated from poachers in a coordinated sting operation. All parties involved were truly devastated and when Emma, the cofounder and director of Umoya Khulula Rehabilitation Centre who brought Lily for immediate veterinary treatment, got out of her vehicle our eyes met and both realized the magnitude of the situation, the emotions and absolute down-to-the-core devastation was too much to control and we both broke down a bit. It was Lily’s story Not just a pangolin but Lily. Lily had been poached … AGAIN…
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