What the vark, my bru?
MYSTERY: This aardvark washed up on Cape beach.
Questions surrounding the mysterious discovery of an aardvark on a Kaapse sea shore have been floating around since the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) performed an autopsy on the animal.
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA on Sunday confirmed to the Daily Voice that the autopsy results ruled out drowning after the arme animal was found on a beach in Milnerton.
Mense at Sunset Beach were geskok when it washed ashore on Friday evening.
According to the SPCA, aardvarks are seldom seen in the Western Cape, and although there is a small population living on the city’s outskirts, mense would count themselves very lucky to see one as they are mostly skaam and nocturnal.
SPCA chief inspector Jaco Pieterse said: “The Cape of Good Hope SPCA was informed and an autopsy was arranged to determine cause of death.
“An independent wildlife veterinarian was able to rule out drowning as the likely cause of death.”
He said the aardvark, an adult female, was in otherwise good condition with no signs of external trauma that might have indicated how it came to be floating in the sea.
“Examining her heart, the veterinarian found conditions that would indicate that she had suffered from heart failure and some fluid on the lungs would indicate shock lung; which is a state most often caused by suffocation [such as being kept in a box with no ventilation might induce].”
Pieterse said the conclusion is that the aardvark was already dead by the time it went into the water, either having been dumped overboard from a ship close to shore, or was somehow put into the sea from land.
“The Cape of Good Hope SPCA will continue to investigate this mysterious event and will be looking at camera footage and taking into account reports received from witnesses to help solve this latest wildlife mystery.
“If you have any information on this case, contact Cape of Good Hope SPCA on 021 700 4140 or email [email protected].”