Day 6
Day 6 was a busy morning, the Leopard cat that had arrived to the centre only three days previous required a health check and examination. The cat was refusing to eat any food offered, and we had tried everything!
He was visibly skinny and we were concerned about dehydration so it was vital he was assessed and given supportive care. Despite being weak he still gave the keepers a difficult time in catching him, in the end walking in to the induction box on his own. Once asleep it was clear he was very skinny and malnourished, dehydrated and with some previous healed limb and digit fractures which hadn’t hindered his movement but would require a full assessment if/when he was fit for release.
I monitored the anaesthetic and gave fluids whilst Hai fully examined him and also gave him wormer (he had a heavy burden of intestinal parasites which would also affect his health and weight), a vitamin solution and glucose.
There was a keeper poised with thick gauntlets ready to pounce should the cat have become light during anaesthesia. This tiny <3kg cat instilled much more fear in the team than a huge 11kg adult male pangolin with big claws and incredible strength, it must be the teeth! When I explained that we anaesthetised lions and tigers for procedures at the zoo the look of shock and fear was unforgettable, gauntlets would certainly not help you in that situation!
After the procedure Hai inputted the data in to zims (the first case to be logged from the beginning), whilst I gave the required am medication to the pangolins.
After lunch I worked my way through the light therapy patients, assessing, cleaning and flushing wounds, completing the light therapy treatment, which was on average 2 mins per animal before reapplying the dressings. All except one, were tail injuries caused either from initial wounds at rescue from being in the nets, from snares, infection or post amputation sites. There was one case today that I could visibly see a big improvement in, the ping ping machine was working!
Once all of the veterinary work was complete I spent some time watching the binturong, they had all just been given their afternoon feed in enrichment devices. All permanent residents at the SVW, their unique characters were clear and it was great to see them spending so much time foraging for food and working out the feeders. Mrs B took her time to assess the devices and went for the easiest/most accessible food of high value – the vegetables left on the floor were clearly not a favourite. Whereas Mr B used sheer force and determination to solve the puzzle and release all of the food eating it as quick as he could before going back to bed!
The keepers at the centre spend a great deal of time building these enrichment and feeding devices, as well as platforms and nest boxes for all of the animals in their care. The speed at which things were achieved in terms of building was not something comparable to the UK! We had suggested a second bed box/ shelter for an enclosure where two leopard cats had been introduced to give them a chance to separate themselves, within 2 hours there it was, not only built but also secured high up in the tree in the enclosure with a tiny nose poking out!
He was visibly skinny and we were concerned about dehydration so it was vital he was assessed and given supportive care. Despite being weak he still gave the keepers a difficult time in catching him, in the end walking in to the induction box on his own. Once asleep it was clear he was very skinny and malnourished, dehydrated and with some previous healed limb and digit fractures which hadn’t hindered his movement but would require a full assessment if/when he was fit for release.
I monitored the anaesthetic and gave fluids whilst Hai fully examined him and also gave him wormer (he had a heavy burden of intestinal parasites which would also affect his health and weight), a vitamin solution and glucose.
There was a keeper poised with thick gauntlets ready to pounce should the cat have become light during anaesthesia. This tiny <3kg cat instilled much more fear in the team than a huge 11kg adult male pangolin with big claws and incredible strength, it must be the teeth! When I explained that we anaesthetised lions and tigers for procedures at the zoo the look of shock and fear was unforgettable, gauntlets would certainly not help you in that situation!
After the procedure Hai inputted the data in to zims (the first case to be logged from the beginning), whilst I gave the required am medication to the pangolins.
After lunch I worked my way through the light therapy patients, assessing, cleaning and flushing wounds, completing the light therapy treatment, which was on average 2 mins per animal before reapplying the dressings. All except one, were tail injuries caused either from initial wounds at rescue from being in the nets, from snares, infection or post amputation sites. There was one case today that I could visibly see a big improvement in, the ping ping machine was working!
Once all of the veterinary work was complete I spent some time watching the binturong, they had all just been given their afternoon feed in enrichment devices. All permanent residents at the SVW, their unique characters were clear and it was great to see them spending so much time foraging for food and working out the feeders. Mrs B took her time to assess the devices and went for the easiest/most accessible food of high value – the vegetables left on the floor were clearly not a favourite. Whereas Mr B used sheer force and determination to solve the puzzle and release all of the food eating it as quick as he could before going back to bed!
The keepers at the centre spend a great deal of time building these enrichment and feeding devices, as well as platforms and nest boxes for all of the animals in their care. The speed at which things were achieved in terms of building was not something comparable to the UK! We had suggested a second bed box/ shelter for an enclosure where two leopard cats had been introduced to give them a chance to separate themselves, within 2 hours there it was, not only built but also secured high up in the tree in the enclosure with a tiny nose poking out!
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