SWT/KWS Mobile Veterinary Units Quarterly Report January- March 2021

SWT/KWS MOBILE VETERINARY UNITS TSAVO – MARA – MERU - AMBOSELI – MT KENYA January – March 2021 Report

Introduction

115 Cases

25 Poaching Cases

32 Elephant Cases

15 Predator Cases

23 HWC Cases

69% Success

January – March 2021 Report for Tsavo, Mara, Meru, Amboseli and Mt Kenya Units During January – March 2021, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT) in partnership with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and their five dedicated field veterinary officers, attended to 115 wildlife cases.

Of the 115 cases, 25 cases were related to poaching and 23 to human-wildlife conflict. Of the poaching cases, 11 involved elephants which included 5 snared, 4 speared, 1 arrowed and 1 post-mortem with evident human involvement and missing tusks. There were 7 human-elephant conflict cases most of which were related to crop raiding and fence breaking, which is usually to access farms outside the Conservation Areas.

One notorious crop raiding bull had to be relocated far away from human settlements. Other elephant cases included 5 treatments for natural causes, 8 post-mortems, assumed to be natural deaths and 1 rescue.

The majority of the non-elephant cases was for plains game, namely 16 zebras, 1 eland, 19 bongos, 2 oryx, 1 generuk and 1 kudu. 10 of the zebras were treated for poaching wounds; 9 snares and 1 arrow. 3 giraffes were also snared and another treated for an arrow wound. Sadly 1 of the snared giraffes succumbed to its injuries. 7 giraffes were trapped within a fenced area meant for crops. The owners successfully drove out 3 of them but unfortunately, the remaining 4 died before the Vet Unit could get there. 12 predators were involved in human-wildlife conflict in 10 separate cases. 2 lions and 3 hyenas were all poisoned as retaliation for livestock predation. 4 lions and 1 spotted hyena were relocated back into protected areas after the communities reported they were preying on livestock, another lion accidentally became trapped in a boma and had to be relocated back into the park and a 3rd was speared to death as revealed by a post-mortem.

Row Labels

Elephant Predators

Poaching

11

Human Wildlife Conflict

7

10

Natural Causes

5

4

Postmortem

8

Technical Cases Rescue

10

4

1

2

2

21

2

1

2

1

3

3

1

2

Relocation

1

Collared Grand Total

Rhino Plains Game Giraffe Buffalo Other Grand Total

1

25

1

2

34 1

13

5

11

2

6

1

2

1 32

15

23

1 7

40

10

3

8

115

115 Cases Attended by SWT/KWS Vet Units January - March 2021 40

35

30

.

Other Buffalo

25

Giraffe 20

Plains Game Rhinos

15

Predators Elephant

10

5

0 Poaching

Human Wildlife Conflict

Natural Causes

Postmortem

Technical Cases

Rescue

Relocation

Collared

48 Poaching and HWC Cases Attended by SWT/KWS Vet Units January - March 2021 18 16 14

Other

12

Buffalo

Case Details 10

Giraffe Plains Game

8

Predators

6

Elephant 4 2

Poaching

Human Wildlife Conflict

Crop Raiding

Poison

Spear

Relocation

Livestock Predation

Human Malice

Human Items

Fencing

Spear

Snared

Poaching Postmortem

Arrow

0

Outcomes of Cases Attended by SWT/KWS Vet Units January - March 2021 Taken to Orphanage 2%

Prognosis Poor 2%

Not Located 1%

Died 19%

Successful Cases 69%

HWC Death 5%

Poaching Death 2%

Outcomes of Cases Attended by SWT/KWS Vet Units January - March 2021

Mt Kenya

21

Amboseli

7

19

Meru

2

14

Mara

1

17

Tsavo

8

0 Successful Cases

4

1 1

2

8

10 Prognosis Poor

3

1 1

2

5

1

2

15 Poaching Death

20 HWC Death

25 Died

Taken to Orphanage

30 Not Located

35

SWT/KWS Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations Tsavo – Mara – Meru – Amboseli – Mt Kenya January – March 2021

SWT/KWS TSAVO MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OVERVIEW January – March 2021

18 Cases

3 Poaching Cases

7 Elephant Cases

In January, the Tsavo Ecosystem, much like the rest of the country, experienced uncharacteristic rains which helped keep the vegetation green and the waterholes full. However, by March the temperatures rose and the green colouration faded and the waterholes began to dry up, making life challenging for the inhabitants of Tsavo. During this quarter, the Unit attended to 18 Cases involving a number of different species. Notable cases included the ear-notching of 6 Black rhino in Tsavo East National Park, the successful treatment of two elephants with spear wounds, a giraffe with an arrow wound, relocation of a problem lion and collaring of 2 other problem lions. The Unit also treated two lions and two zebras for natural causes, amongst other cases.

18 Cases Attended by SWT/KWS Tsavo Vet Unit January - March 2021 6

5

4 Buffalo Giraffe 3

Plains Game Rhinos Predators

2

Elephant 1

0 Poaching

Human Wildlife Natural Causes Conflict

Postmortem

Technical Cases

Rescue

Collared

Outcomes of Cases Attended by SWT/KWS Tsavo Vet Unit January - March 2021

Died 44%

Successful Cases 45%

HWC Death 11%

SWT/KWS Tsavo Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations January – March 2021

January 2021

To see the full report for Tsavo Vet Unit for the month of January 2021 click here February 2021

To see the full report for Tsavo Vet Unit for the month of February 2021 click here March 2021

To see the full report for Tsavo Vet Unit for the month of March 2021 click here

SWT/KWS MARA MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OVERVIEW January – March 2021

19 Cases

12 Poaching Cases

6 Elephant Cases

The rains at the end of 2020 continued into 2021 which provided ample vegetation for herbivores. Predators however, seemed to have difficulties hunting due to the tall grass and thick bush and moved out of the Conservation area which resulted in an increase in human-wildlife conflict. However, by March the rains ceased, and the high temperatures started to dry out the ecosystem. There was an increase in snaring cases during this quarter, particularly in February. The Unit treated 8 zebras successfully and 1 giraffe for snare wounds, sadly the giraffe succumbed during treatment. The Unit also treated 2 elephants, one for an arrow wound and the other a spear wound as well as another zebra with an arrow wound, all of which survived.

19 Cases Attended by SWT/KWS Mara Vet Unit January - March 2021 14

12

10 Other 8

Giraffe Plains Game

6

Predators Elephant

4

2

0 Poaching

Human Wildlife Conflict

Natural Causes

Rescue

Outcomes of Cases Attended by SWT/KWS Mara Vet Unit January - March 2021

Successful Cases 90%

Died 5% Poaching Death 5%

SWT/KWS Mara Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations January – March 2020

January 2021

Mara Vet were on leave for the month of January 2021 February 2021

To see the full report for Mara Vet Unit for the month of February 2021 click here March 2021

To see the full report for Mara Vet Unit for the month of March 2021 click here

SWT/KWS MERU MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OVERVIEW January – March 2021

17 Cases

3 HWC Cases

3 Elephant Cases

The year started with lush vegetation, flowing rivers and full waterholes. The animals were in the best of health with abundant food and water available. February was both wet and dry with unusual rainstorms as usually this is a very dry month. However, this was welcome as it revitalised the drying vegetation. March was dry and hot, the green vegetation finally changed into dry browse, with the North East of Kenya hit with a severe drought. The Unit attended to 1 snared elephant and 1 snared zebra. There were 3 human-wildlife conflict cases during the quarter, sadly 1 lion was poisoned, 1 zebra was injured by a fence and a goat was treated after a hyena attack. Other cases include treatment of 5 endangered bongos, amongst others.

17 Cases Attended by SWT/KWS Meru Vet Unit January - March 2021 8 7 6 5

Other Giraffe

4

Plains Game Predators

3

Elephant 2 1 0 Poaching

Human Wildlife Conflict

Natural Causes

Postmortem

Technical Cases

Rescue

Outcomes of Cases Attended by SWT/KWS Meru Vet Unit January - March 2021

Died 12% Successful Cases 82%

HWC Death 6%

SWT/KWS Meru Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations January – March 2021

January 2021

To see the full report for Meru Vet Unit for the month of January 2021 click here

February 2021

To see the full report for Meru Vet Unit for the month of February 2021 click here

March 2021

To see the full report for Meru Vet Unit for the month of March 2021 click here

SWT/KWS AMBOSELI MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OVERVIEW January – March 2021

31 Cases

13 HWC Cases

13 Elephant Cases

The start of 2021 has been busy for the Amboseli Vet Unit with 31 cases attended to. Many of these cases were related to human-wildlife conflict. 3 elephants were treated for wounds caused when breaking fences and a notorious crop raiding elephant was relocated away from farms. Sadly, 2 elephants died from humanwildlife conflict injuries, 1 from spear wounds and other suffered a broken leg, presumably when being chased out of plantations. 2 lions were relocated as they were preying on livestock and sadly 3 hyenas were poisoned. The Unit also attended to 3 snared elephants and 2 snared giraffes which were all successfully treated. Other cases include 5 for natural causes, 2 post-mortems, 3 technical cases and 1 rescue.

31 Cases Attended by SWT/KWS Amboseli Vet Unit January - March 2021 14

12

10 Other Buffalo

8

Giraffe Plains Game

6

Rhinos Predators

4

Elephant 2

0 Poaching

Human Wildlife Conflict

Natural Causes

Postmortem

Technical Cases

Rescue

Outcomes of Cases Attended by SWT/KWS Amboseli Vet Unit January - March 2021 Prognosis Poor 7%

Taken to Orphanage 3% Not Located 3%

Died 13%

Successful Cases 61%

HWC Death 10%

Poaching Death 3%

SWT/KWS Amboseli Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations January – March 2021

January 2021

To see the full report for Amboseli Vet Unit for the month of January 2021 click here

February 2021

To see the full report for Amboseli Vet Unit for the month of February 2021 click here

March 2021

To see the full report for Amboseli Vet Unit for the month of March 2021 click here

SWT/KWS MT KENYA MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OVERVIEW January – March 2021

30 Cases

5 Rhino Cases

5 Elephant Cases

During this quarter, there has been a decrease in poaching and human-wildlife conflict cases. The only cases encountered was 1 elephant with a rope snare around the leg and the relocation of a lion that was preying on livestock. The Unit helped to relocate two male white rhinos and assisted the Northern White Rhino Implantation project. They also travelled to Lake Nakuru to treat a rhino with filarial wounds. The Unit has been of great assistance to the Mt Kenya Wildlife Conservancy as they treated 15 of their endangered mountain bongos. Of the elephant cases, the Unit rescued 1 elephant from Laikipia, which was taken to the Nairobi Nursery, treated 2 for natural causes, 1 of which had to be euthanised and conducted 1 post-mortem.

30 Cases Attended by SWT/KWS Mount Kenya Vet Unit January - March 2021 16 14 12 10

Giraffe Plains Game

8

Rhinos Predators

6

Elephant 4 2 0 Poaching

Human Wildlife Natural Causes Conflict

Postmortem

Technical Cases

Rescue

Relocation

Outcomes of Cases Attended by SWT/KWS Mount Kenya Vet Unit January - March 2021

Taken to Orphanage 7%

Successful Cases 70% Died 23%

SWT/KWS Mt Kenya Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations January – March 2020

January 2021

To see the full report for Mt Kenya Vet Unit for the month of January 2021 click here

February 2021

To see the full report for Mt Kenya Vet Unit for the month of February 2021 click here

March 2021

To see the full report for Mt Kenya Vet Unit for the month of March 2021 click here