A few days back, I wrote about the Pangolin reintroduction project that Zambeze Delta Safari has undertaken, and I introduced you to their FIRST Pangolin.
They plan to release him soon and need him to be tagged so that they can follow him to learn more about where he goes on the property and what he does.
Friday was dubbed “Pangolin tagging day” and we were thrilled to be there!!
These are the two tags….one is Satelite and the other is VHF……
In my mind, they look awfully big for the little guy but I was reminded that he is only about half-grown right now so he will grow into them!!
Then there were the tools…..
YIKES….poor little guy. This looks like a bad dentist’s office!!
They brought him out in his crate and we all oohed and aahed!!…..
….and then the work began!!
Willem set him on the “operating box”……
…and Tamar covered his head with a towel to help him relax in the dark…..
The trackers were being placed at the base of his tail….ie where it attaches to his body. Doing that means that his range of movement will not be affected at all.
Once a decision was made as to which scale they would work on…..
….Rye went to work with his drill. Remember that the scales are much like really thick fingernails so he would not be feeling any of this!!
A spoon handle was placed under the scale……
And Rye drilled thru the scale until he hit the spoon….
The result…..a PERFECT hole!!
A flat disc with a bolt soldered to it was placed underneath the scale, with the bolt sticking up thru the hole…..
Then the tracker was placed on top of the bolt……
….and tightened with a ratchet wrench…..
One down….one to go!!
The second tracker was quickly fitted and the “surgery” was over!!
When they took him for his evening walk, they were thrilled to see that he didn’t act any differently from before the trackers were attached.
I have NO idea how they figured out this process but it worked without a hitch, and I can’t wait to get reports of this little guy wandering in the Marromeu complex of Mozambique!!
I know that I am so blessed to get to witness events such as these and I hope that you enjoy them too!!
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4 thoughts on “TAG…..you’re it!!”
You are truly blessed. What a wonderful experience. Thank you for sharing your remarkable adventure.
I totally agree Marilyn. We sometimes pinch ourselves and wonder how two kids from West Texas end up in these places!!
So interesting. Thanks for the step-by-step photos and the explanation.
It was really fun to see the process and I was amazed at how well it worked!!