A Wild World Veterinary Day

Article by Dr. Charlene Yeong, Assistant Vice-President at Mandai Nature

World Veterinary Day falls on 25 April this year, and it is a celebration of the contributions that veterinary teams around the world play towards animal health, public health and environmental health. Wildlife vets involved in rescue and rehab have an especially challenging role, often working with wildlife that are less charismatic, and negatively affected by human activities and infrastructure. There is also often a need to be creative with equipment to find ways that will work for patients of all shapes and sizes. Crucially, we often have to manage patients with many unknowns, such as little-known species and patients with unclear histories.

A recent example of this is a Sunda pangolin that was rescued by National Parks Board (NParks) and admitted to us at the Wildlife Health and Research Centre at the Mandai Wildlife Reserve earlier this year. Sunda pangolins are Critically Endangered, and little is known about this species. In Singapore, the greatest threats to pangolins are habitat loss and road traffic accidents. This particular individual was a young female, likely recently weaned, but presented very weak, dehydrated, thin. She had several wounds, including deviated nostrils and lips, and a fractured toe. On further checks, she also had a high white blood cell count, suggestive of an infection or inflammation, and a low platelet count, which would likely impair the blood’s ability to clot. Most concerning, she also had neurological signs, suggestive of a spinal injury. No one knew how she sustained these injuries, whether she would be able to walk normally, eat despite her lip abnormalities, and perform necessary body functions like defaecation and urination.

However, she responded well to the intensive treatment and monitoring that the team placed her on, which included rehydration and strong anti-inflammatories. Her wounds were disinfected and treated daily, and she was encouraged to defaecate and urinate, including a novel method of providing her shallow water to walk in (Figure 1). She proved to be a food-motivated individual and ate readily, despite her lip abnormalities. As her strength, mobility and coordination improved, she was progressed from a ward with few low furniture and soft bedding, to supervised outdoor walks in a naturally forested area (Figure 2), to a semi-outdoor enclosure with opportunities to forage, burrow and climb high (Figure 3). After about 5 weeks of treatment and rehabilitation at Mandai, she was released back into the wild by NParks!

Figure 1. A rescued pangolin encouraged to defaecate and urinate by providing shallow water to walk in.

Figure 2. A rescued pangolin taken on supervised walks in a forested area.

Figure 3. A rescued pangolin in a semi-outdoor enclosure with opportunities for climbing and burrowing as part of her physiotherapy.

However, more commonly, wildlife are rescued from situations caused by human activities or infrastructure. In early April 2026, a paradise tree snake was rescued by NParks and admitted to us as well. It had been caught in a glue trap. Unlike the common misconception that they are dangerous, paradise tree snakes don’t pose a threat to humans and serve an important ecological function as predators of animals like lizards and frogs. Glue traps are a cruel method of trapping animals. This individual could have been trying to predate on household geckoes that the glue trap was targeted at. Most of the snake’s body was stuck on the glue, including its lower jaw. Some of its scales had already come off, indicating that it had been struggling to escape from the trap. Thankfully, its tongue, oral cavity, eyes and other vital soft tissues were not affected. Removal from glue traps are delicate procedures. The snake had to be removed from the strong adhesive, yet care had to be taken not to cause toxicity from the solvent used. The tension applied had to be gentle to avoid tearing the skin. It was then warded for monitoring, and treated for potential dehydration, muscle damage from exertion, and pain. It responded well to treatment and was released.

Figure 4. A paradise tree snake under treatment and monitoring at Mandai.

These are two examples of recent success stories, which are causes for celebration. But there are also many other cases where the animals are admitted either as carcasses, or with severe conditions that do not respond to treatment or are not viable for release back into the wild, and necessitate euthanasia based on welfare grounds. Each case affects us in the Veterinary teams who rescue, assess and treat these animals. They may be joyful successes, or they may be heartbreaking cases. But all cases bond us as dynamic teams, and encourage us to do better for our patients.

Ultimately, wildlife veterinary teams do what we do to give rescued wildlife a second chance to thrive, back in their natural habitats. But beyond that, we also put in efforts to promote human-wildlife coexistence and empower the public with knowledge on what to do during wildlife encounters. In the long run, the goal is to reduce the need for rescues. These efforts don’t just keep wildlife safe, but also keep people and domestic animals safe too.

A huge shoutout to all the wildlife Veterinary teams at ACRES, NParks, Mandai Nature, Mandai Wildlife Group and beyond, in recognition of their resilience and tireless efforts for our wild neighbours.