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A possibly frightened pangolin crawled up the tree after being hit by a vehicle.

A member of the public, who witnessed the incident, called wildlife rescue charity Acres on Sep. 19 at around 9:45pm.

Stressed after being hit by vehicle

Acres co-CEO Kalai Vanan told Mothership that the female adult pangolin managed to escape after being knocked down, crossing the road afterwards. No visible injuries were seen.

Feeling stressed from the incident, the pangolin then decided to seek refuge on a roadside tree in a HDB residential estate.

It was important to rescue the critter as she would have to cross the road again to get back to her natural habitat. This would spell risk of getting injured again for the pangolin, which might have suffered internal injuries from the earlier incident, Kalai explained.

Acres to the rescue

Kalai shared that the pangolin was found on the tree at a height of around 2.5m, and the team had to use a ladder to retrieve him.

Fortunately, the pangolin decided to climb down after slight nudges with a pole.

The rescue only took 20 minutes as the pangolin was cooperative.

The pangolin was offered water and a place to rest for the night subsequently before being sent to Wildlife Reserves Singapore for a thorough health check.

If all's well, she will be released back into the wild.

If you are wondering how a pangolin ended up in a HDB residential estate, Kalai suggested that the recent heavy downpour may have caused the pangolin to be flushed out to the estate through our drainage network.

Things to note if you see a Sunda pangolin

Sunda pangolins are critically endangered creatures, both globally and locally.

Nocturnal and slow-moving creatures, they are found in various forested areas in Singapore.

Their scaly exterior can protect them from some natural predators. However, it does not help to save them from fast moving vehicles in Singapore. In 2021, there is a spike in the number of reported pangolin roadkills as compared to previous years.

Globally, they are threatened by poaching and loss of natural habitats.

If you see a pangolin in Singapore, observe them from a safe distance. Do not approach them as they are shy creatures that can get frightened easily.

If you are aware of any illegal trading or poaching of pangolins in Singapore, you can call NParks at 1800 471 7300 or the police.

If you encounter any wildlife in distress, you can call Acres 24-hour Wildlife Rescue Hotline at 9783 7782 or NParks at 1800 476 1600 for advice and assistance.

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Top image courtesy of Acres