Zimbabwe Wild Dogs

Category: Other wildlife, Random, Wild Dogs, zimbabwe | Date: Dec 18 2008 | By: zimbabwewilddogs

Hi folks,

Sorry for keeping you all in suspense over the fate of the baby warthog…!  Fortunately, this story is one that has a happy ending, so keep reading.

This is a photo showing ‘Squeaker’ when we first found him… You can see from the first picture how hard he was to spot…

This closer-up photo shows just how stuck and muddy the little fellow was.

I managed to wade into the mud (very nearly getting stuck myself!) and pull him out, and Misheck and I washed the worst of the mud off with some fresh water we had in the car.  Unfortunately his back legs didn’t seem to work at all, but otherwise he seemed to have quite a fighting spirit. 

Having absolutely no idea how to raise a baby warthog, I took him over to some friends who very kindly helped me get some rehydration fluids down him, and then provided me with some powdered baby milk.  I took him home and put him in a dark, cushioned box with a couple of sarongs for him to ’burrow’ into.  And then fed him with baby milk by pipette once every few hours…. 

The next day I took him to another ranch in the conservancy, to a very kind lady who has a great deal of expereince raising orphaned animals of every kind.  Despite my best attempts at physio (!) his back legs still were not working and he was really very weak. I have to admit that I didn’t hold out too much hope for him, but if anyone could pull him through it would be Anne.  Anne immediately took him under her wing and before I had even finished explaining his presence, she had listened to his chest, daignosed pneumonia and rushed off and fetched antibiotics, aspirin and a proper bottle of milk for him. 

He was touch and go for a while, but now seems to be improving steadily and getting around just fine, despite his dis-functional back legs. I’ll give you an update on him from time to time, but I’m sure he will now enjoy a good life in Anne’s tender care (with other baby warthogs and an orphaned bushbuck for company!).  

Squeaker dozing in the shade

Back soon,

Rosemary

Tags: conservation, warthog, Wild Dogs, zimbabwe