Dash to save pregnant leopard

The Johannesburg Zoo is providing critical medical care at its veterinary hospital for a young, pregnant leopard that was found ensnared in Magaliesburg in the North-West Province.

Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo’s veterinarians Dr Katja Koeppel and Dr Francois le Grange and acting hospital manager, Bishop Ngobeli were requested to provide critical care for the leopard. The injured creature that was airlifted to the Charlotte Makeke Hospital’s helipad in Johannesburg on 24 September.

Earlier, John Power from North-West Nature Conservation advised zoo officials that a collared leopard released into the wild was reported as being unusually stationary. She was then located and found entrapped in a snare probably meant for antelope.

The team at Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo collected her in a crate within 25 minutes of receiving the request and rushed her to the

Johannesburg Zoo’s hospital under sedation. At the hospital she was stabilised and received fluids and medication. The large wound cutting through all her muscles was sutured during a two-hour operation.

The leopard is in a stable but critical condition and will remain in hospital until fully recovered. She will only be released once nature conservation officials find a suitable recuperation site.

Managing director of Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo, Bulumko Nelana commended all nature conservation officials at Leopards

for the Future, North-West Nature Conservation and Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo.

“Their quick action and amazing dedication to saving the leopard was incredible,” he said.