By Amy Aucamp-Clark | Campaign Manager
As summer heat blankets South Africa’s bushveld and the bush comes alive with new growth, your continued support keeps the Scales Pangolin Rescue Fund moving forward. Since our last report, your donations have directly funded emergency veterinary interventions, specialised rehabilitation, post-release monitoring, and the logistics that bring pangolins safely home. Our earlier stars—Biscuit, Ntombi, and Archie—remain strong: Biscuit forages boldly, Ntombi and her pup share burrow life captured on camera traps, and Archie commands his territory with ease. Over recent months, a new wave of rescues, remarkable recoveries, and successful returns to the wild has unfolded—each one powered by the generosity of donors like you.
Shumi’s transformation has been breathtaking. Rescued in early July 2025, dehydrated, underweight, and wounded, this determined female adored ants at tree bases. After initial care at Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital and dedicated rehab at Umoya Khulula Wildlife Centre, she took flight home (thanks to The Bateleurs) and began her soft release in November. Summer monitoring shows her thriving—gaining weight steadily, exploring with curiosity, and moving like she was born wild again. From a traumatised rescue to a confident forager under the summer sun, Shumi embodies what second chances can achieve.
Plum, Faith, and Heritage each fought their way back to freedom in their own inspiring style. Plum needed a patient second try in a more suitable area; now at 7 kg, she confidently emerges from burrows she chose herself and forages with real gusto. Faith, ever the happy-go-lucky spirit, settled quickly after her pre-Christmas soft release—rolling through grass, claiming territory, and radiating joy. Heritage’s journey was the toughest: rescued on Heritage Day barely able to walk, pioneering MRI scans at Provet Animal Hospital uncovered spinal abscesses, followed by a hidden biliary infection discovered just before release. After targeted treatment and final clear tests, she stepped into the wild—strong, steady, and free. These females now roam, dig, and rest in the warmth of summer because of skilled care and monitoring your support makes possible.
Bamba’s confidence grows stronger every day—more than three months post-release he’s fully settled in his chosen territory, healthy and untouchable, with tracking tags soon to be removed. Paige delivered the season’s brightest news: trail cameras confirmed she is successfully nursing a healthy pup in the wild, turning her own rescue from a deep snare wound into new life for her species. While one heartbreaking story reminds us of the cruelty we fight—a trafficked male from Malawi who did not survive—the arrest made in that operation removes another poacher and protects future pangolins.
Every rescue flight, every MRI, every camera-trap glimpse of a mother and pup, every confident step back into the bush is made possible by you. Thank you for standing with us through every challenge and triumph as we give these extraordinary animals the summer freedom they deserve.
With warmest thanks from the summer bush,
The Scales Pangolin Rescue Fund Team
By Amy Aucamp-Clark | Campaign Manager
By Amy Aucamp-Clark | Campaign Manager
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