SPCA investigates mysterious death of beached aardvark in Cape Town

Animal welfare officials are investigating events leading to the death of an aardvark found washed up on Milnerton beach in Cape Town.

Beachgoers were stunned by the sight of the aardvark, a rarely seen nocturnal animal, on Friday evening.

An autopsy has ruled out drowning as the cause of death, according to The Cape of Good Hope Society for the Prevention of Cruelty against Animals (SPCA).

“The aardvark, an adult female, was in otherwise good condition with no signs of external trauma that might have indicated how she came to be floating in the sea,” the SPCA said.

However, upon closer examination it appeared likely the animal had succumbed to heart failure and had fluid in the lungs, possibly induced by suffocation, such as from being kept in a box with no ventilation.

“The conclusion is the aardvark was dead by the time it went into the water, either having been dumped overboard a ship close to shore or was somehow put into the sea from land.”

The SPCA is investigating the death with help from several eye-witnesses.

Pictures of the dead aardvark prompted social media posts, many accusatory in tone.

“This is definitely the work of some evil humans,” Charlotte Siebert fumed on Facebook.

“Animals are always exploited and some suffer horribly at the hands of man. I pray this case can be solved and the perpetrators heavily fined. Pity we can’t give the death penalty for cruelty towards animals.”

TimesLIVE