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Pangolin found weak and hungry now thriving: WRS

SINGAPORE — A male Sunda pangolin that was found weak and hungry several weeks ago is now flourishing under human care at Wildlife Reserves Singapore’s (WRS) rescued wildlife centre, WRS said in a statement on Thursday (April 7).

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SINGAPORE — A male Sunda pangolin that was found weak and hungry several weeks ago is now flourishing under human care at Wildlife Reserves Singapore’s (WRS) rescued wildlife centre, WRS said in a statement on Thursday (April 7).

Vets at the centre took on the task of raising the pangolin by hand, which had a 50 per cent chance of survival under human care, according to WRS.

“Successfully raising a Sunda pangolin from such a young age is a real achievement,” said Dr Cheng Wen-Haur, the Chief Life Sciences Officer at WRS. “This experience has given us invaluable knowledge on how to care for the species.”

The mammal had been found alone along Upper Thomson Road on Feb 22 and was estimated to be four-months-old. As Sunda pangolins are highly protective of their young — which cling to their mother’s tail — WRS believes that the pangolin may have been abandoned by its mother.

The biggest challenge in raising the critically-endangered mammal was managing its diet, said WRS. It had initially rejected kitten milk replacer as it was used to its mother’s milk. The pangolin was also being weaned off milk onto solid food such as ants and termites, which made the task even more difficult: The pangolin’s change in diet had caused intestinal issues and vets had to provide it with around-the-clock care.        

However, after a week and a half, the pangolin’s condition improved and it started drinking kitten milk replacer four times a day. It also started eating ants’ eggs. Since then, its milk intake has been reduced to two feedings a day, and it is being eased into a specialised diet which the Night Safari’s adult pangolins consume.

Its weight has also increased to 1.1kg from 776g. When fully grown, a male Sunda pangolin can weigh up to 7.5kg.

The pangolin is taken for walks every morning and evening on forested grounds. WRS says this encourages its natural behaviour. It is also allowed to forage, which develops the mammal’s keen sense of smell and strong claws.

The pangolin, which has not been named yet, will join the Night Safari's seven Sunda pangolins once it is independent and is fully eased into the specialised diet.

According to WRS, the Sunda pangolin is the only known species of pangolin to be found in Singapore, although their numbers are not known. WRS said that in Singapore, the mammal is threatened by a loss of habitat and motor vehicle accidents. ASHUTOSH RAVIKRISHNAN

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