KARACHI: A pangolin rescued after being seriously wounded by a security guard near the Zamzama Park in DHA a day earlier is fighting for its life in a veterinary clinic in Gulshan-i-Iqbal, it emerged on Sunday.

The poor animal, an endangered species protected under the provincial wildlife law, was reportedly fired upon five times by the security guard who saw it as a threat to his life.

“The animal was already shot and injured near my home when I reached there with my family. I couldn’t identify the species as it had curled into a ball,” said Nuvera Nasir Sheikh, an Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture student, who made an effort to find help to rescue the animal.

“I asked my brother and driver to stay there and guard the animal till I get help as a lot of people had gathered there.”

According to her, it took her four hours when help finally arrived during which the animal continued to bleed.

“I was extremely disappointed to see response from vets and some organisations working for animal welfare. Nobody was willing to work on the excuse that it was a holiday,” she said, adding that she got response from Paws (a non-governmental organisation working for animal welfare) through social media, where she had shared the plight of the animal with her friends.

The animal was shifted to a clinic in Gulshan in the early hours of Saturday by Dr Ali Ayaz and his assistant, both veterinarians.

“It’s an adult male pangolin. I have little hope that he would survive as he has suffered extreme blood loss and damage to internal organs,” he said, adding that two bullets had been taken out of his body.

Sharing her concerns, Mahera Omar representing Paws said: “We want the officials concerned to take strict action against the person, who shot and injured the pangolin. The animal has no teeth and tends to curl up into a ball when threatened so it’s hard to believe the pangolin in Zamzama was attacking the security guard.”

Sind wildlife conservator Saeed Baloch said that the department would take up the matter on Monday and take a statement from the security guard.

“The department doesn’t have the facility to treat wild animals but we will ask the concerned vet if he requires any financial support for treatment,” he said in reply to another question.

It’s the second incident of pangolin rescue within two months in the city. Earlier, a pangolin was rescued from Jamshed Town and later released in the Kirthar National Park.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2016