本研究回溯分析1993~2009年間台灣地區野生穿山甲(Manis pentadactyla pentadactyla)送至特有生物研究保育中心野生動物急救站醫療處理之病例,探討造成傷病原因與處理結果。此期間醫療處理的穿山甲病例共有117隻,來源地以南投縣最多,占病例總數42.7%,其中99隻有性別和年齡紀錄的病例中,以成年雄性居多,占55.6%。4~7月爲穿山甲救傷處理的數量高峰期,占病例總數53.9%。以2001~2009年間穿山甲每月累加病例數,分別與平均溫度及雨量做相關分析,發現皆呈顯著正相關。就診原因以創傷最多,占病例總數51.3%,其次爲健康但被民眾誤撿拾占17.1%、營養不良或消瘦16.3%、幼獸6.8%、疾病3.4%,未知原因占5.1%。創傷案例中有70%爲陷阱造成,以後肢被獸鋏夾傷比例最高。經醫療處理後野放之個體占60.7%、醫療期間死亡或安樂死占35.1%、永久殘廢須長期收容占3.4%,而尚在療養中爲0.9%。穿山甲遭獸鋏夾傷死亡率高、預後不佳且常須截肢保命,醫療後倖存的個體通常無法野放,僅能長期收容。由本次病例分析得知,創傷是造成台灣穿山甲需要接受醫療處理的主因,而獸鋏是造成創傷的主要獵具。
A retrospective study was conducted to determine the causes of morbidity of wild Formosan pangolins (Manis pentadactyla pentadactyla) and to evaluate the results of their treatments. During the period from 1993 to 2009, 117 morbid pangolins were admitted for treatments at the Wildlife First Aid Station of Endemic Species Research Institute, Taiwan. Most of them were from Nantou County (42.7%) and in April to July (53%). Their ages and sexes were identified for 99 cases; adult males occupied 55.6%. The numbers of the pangolins admitted were positively correlated with monthly average temperatures and precipitations. Trauma was the major cause accounting for 51.3% of all admitted cases; other causes were healthy animals but incautiously caught by people (17.1%), malnutrition and emaciation (16.3%), juveniles (6.8%), disease (3.4%), and unknown (5.1%). About 70% of the traumas were caused by gin traps. After the treatments 60.7% were released to the wild, 35.0% died or euthanized, and 3.4% crippled and kept in captivity. The trapped pangolins usually had high mortality rate and poor prognoses. In many cases they needed amputation to save their lives and were unable to be released to wild later.