[imagesource: Alex and Juanita Aitkenhead / alexaitkenhead.co.za]

The carcass of an adult female Aardvark (African Ant Bear) washed up on Sunset Beach in Milnerton on Friday.

Alex Aitkenhead discovered the animal while walking on the beach with his dogs and immediately posted about the mysterious animal found on Facebook, noted IOL.

Aitkenhead said that the Aardvark was in ‘immaculate’ condition, managing to get a few really interesting shots of the creature in the sand, still with ticks on it.

A land animal, especially one as rare as an Aardvark, being washed up from the ocean is really a remarkable sight. Scroll to see the ant bear up close and personal:

 

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A post shared by Alex Aitkenhead (@alexander_aitkenhead)

The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) immediately collected the poor thing from the beach before being handed over to the SPCA, who deep-dived the cause of death.

Per News24, they said it most likely died as a result of a suffocation or heart attack:

“An autopsy was conducted which determined that the results indicate that the animal was already dead by the time it went into the water. [Even though the] animal was already deceased [it was] in remarkably good shape when pulled from the surf zone by members of the public and left on the beach where it was collected,” Pieterse added.

Wildlife veterinarian Doctor Luca Mendes was able to rule out drowning as the likely cause of death.

“The aardvark showed no signs of external trauma that might have indicated how she came to be floating in the sea. Examining her heart, [we] noticed 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 added.

The SPCA reckons the animal was  “dumped overboard a ship close to shore or was somehow put into the sea from the land”.

Aitkenhead says he believes it was a trafficked animal that had died and was tossed overboard, which is why the carcass was in such a good condition.

The animal organisation has committed to further investigation, saying that they will be looking at camera footage and taking into account reports received from several eyewitnesses to help solve this wildlife mystery.

[sources:news24&iol]