SWT/KWS Mobile Veterinary Units Quarterly Report April- June 2021

SWT/KWS MOBILE VETERINARY UNITS TSAVO, MARA, MERU, AMBO MT KENYA, RIFT VALLEY April – June 2021 Report

Introduction

175 Cases

61 Poaching Cases

52 Elephant Cases

19 Predator Cases

12 HWC Cases

60% Success

April – June 2021 Report for Tsavo, Mara, Meru, Amboseli, Mt Kenya and Rift Valley Units The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT), in conjunction with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) were pleased to announce the launch of the Rift Valley Vet Unit in June 2021. The Rift Valley Unit attended to 33 cases in its month of inception; the majority of which were snaring cases. All six of the SWT/KWS Vet Units attended to a total of 175 wildlife cases within the quarter.

Of the 175 cases, 61 cases were related to poaching and 12 to human-wildlife conflict. There were 52 elephant cases, 27 of which were related to poaching, including 4 snare, 11 spear, 7 arrow and 4 bullet wounds as well as 1 post-mortem that was most likely caused by a poaching attempt. The other poaching cases included a snared lion, wild dog, antelope, waterbuck, 2 giraffes, 3 buffalos and 18 zebras, 2 rhinos with bullet wounds and a speared eland and crocodile. Post-mortems were also conducted on 24 poached dikdik in 2 separate cases and 1 White rhino where the horns had been removed.

Of the Human-wildlife conflict cases, an elephant and eland were accidentally electrocuted, a buffalo was safely rescued from a man-made hole, 2 leopards and a hyena were relocated due to livestock predation and sadly 15 crocodiles, an elephant, 3 lions and a hyena were poisoned.

In addition, 56 cases involved treatment of animals for natural causes and 20 post-mortems also concluded to be natural. The Units also collared 64 zebras, 5 elephants, 7 hartebeest, 1 hyena, 5 lions and a baboon on 7 separate cases.

Elephant Predators Poaching

27

2

Human Wildlife Conflict

2

6

Natural Causes

11

8

Post-mortem

6

1

Rescue

3

Collared

2

Rhino Plains Game Giraffe Buffalo Other Grand Total 3

23

2

3

1

61

1

1

1

1

12

13

19

2

3

56

6

2

2

3

20

1

4

1

7

2

2

Relocation

9

Technical Cases

1

Grand Total

52

1

10

1 19

23

56

8

4

3

5

13

175

175 Cases Attended to by SWT/KWS Vet Units April - June 2021 70

60

. 50 Other 40

Buffalo Giraffe Plains Game

30

Rhinos Predators 20

Elephant

10

0 Poaching

Human Wildlife Conflict

Natural Causes

Postmortem

Rescue

Collared

Relocation

Technical Cases

73 Poaching and HWC Cases Attended to by SWT/KWS Vet Units April - June 2021 35 30 25

Case Details

20

Other Buffalo

15

Giraffe 10

Plains Game Rhinos

5

Predators Elephant

Poaching

Human Wildlife Conflict

Poison

Relocation

Manhole

Livestock Predation

Human Malice

Electrocution

Spear

Snared

Poaching Postmortem

Bullet Wound

Arrow

0

Outcomes of Cases Attended to by SWT/KWS Vet Units April - June 2021 Prognosis Poor 10%

Poaching Death 8%

HWC Death 4%

Died 16%

Successful Cases 59%

Taken to Orphanage Not Located 2% 1%

Outcomes of Cases Attended to by SWT/KWS Vet Units April - June 2021

Tsavo

28

Mara

2

15

Meru

2

12

Amboseli

8

1

1

Mt Kenya

2

2

5

6

Successful Cases

5

10 Prognosis Poor

1 1

4

21

0

1

1

20

Rift Valley Vet

7

1

5

3

1

15 Poaching Death

3

1

8

7

3

25

30

20 HWC Death

Died

1

1 1

35

Taken to Orphanage

40 Not Located

45

SWT/KWS Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations Tsavo – Mara – Meru – Amboseli – Mt Kenya – Rift Valley April – June 2021

SWT/KWS TSAVO MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OVERVIEW April – June 2021

39 Cases

13 Poaching Cases

22 Elephant Cases

There were light showers in April, and a rise in daytime temperatures in May with cold windy nights. Large numbers of wildlife species crowded around waterholes as they were drying up. June was much colder and wildlife numbers declined as they moved off in search of food and water. During the quarter, the Unit attended to 13 poaching cases including 4 elephants, a waterbuck, impala and buffalo with snares and 6 elephants with arrow or spear wounds. In conjunction with KWS the TMVU also collared 64 zebra, 7 hartebeest, 5 lions, 5 elephant and 1 hyena, and relocated 2 hartebeest, 8 wildebeest, 20 zebra and 1 impala.

Five post-mortems were also conducted on 2 elephants, a white rhino, a leopard and a zebra.

39 Cases Attended to by SWT/KWS Tsavo Vet Unit April - June 2021 14

12

10 Other Buffalo

8

Plains Game Rhinos

6

Predators Elephant

4

2

0 Poaching

Natural Causes

Postmortem

Rescue

Collared

Relocation

Technical Cases

Outcomes of Cases Attended to by SWT/KWS Tsavo Vet Unit April - June 2021 Prognosis Poor 5% Poaching Death 2%

Successful Cases 72%

Died 18%

Taken to Orphanage 3%

SWT/KWS Tsavo Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations April – June 2021

April 2021

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

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

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

SWT/KWS MARA MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OVERVIEW April – June 2021

18 Cases

8 Poaching Cases

5 Elephant Cases

Visitation to the Mara is still low due to the COVID 19 pandemic travel restrictions. The start of the quarter saw very little rain, but this gave way to prolonged rainy spells. By June, most luggas and seasonal rivers were flooded rendering movement across the ecosystem difficult and the first herd of migratory wildebeests were spotted at the start of their annual migration to Masai Mara from Serengeti. The Unit attended to 8 cases that were related to poaching, including 2 speared elephants, a speared eland and crocodile. 3 elephants with arrow wounds and a snared zebra. The Unit also removed a cloth that had been tied around a baby giraffe’s neck and treated 2 giraffes’, a white rhino and 6 lions for natural causes.

18 Cases Attended to by SWT/KWS Mara Vet Unit April - June 2021 10 9 8 7 6

Other Giraffe

5

Plains Game 4

Rhinos

3

Predators Elephant

2 1 0 Arrow

Snared Poaching

Spear Human Wildlife Conflict

Natural Causes

Outcomes of Cases Attended to by SWT/KWS Mara Vet Unit April - June 2021

Prognosis Poor 11%

Successful Cases 83%

Died 6%

SWT/KWS Mara Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations April – June 2021

April 2021

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

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

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

SWT/KWS MERU MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OVERVIEW April – June 2021

28 Cases

7 Poaching Cases

5 Elephant Cases

April was the beginning of the rainy season and the vegetation flourished, so the wildlife was in excellent health as a result. June brought on the start of the dry season, but hopefully the vegetation will last until the next rainy season which is due in October. The Unit attended to a snared lion and elephant, a speared elephant and a White rhino with a bullet wound. The vet also conducted a post-mortem on an elephant that was contributed to poaching as well as attending to two cases where a total of 24 Dikdik carcasses were confiscated from poachers. Four giraffes were also relocated from Lake Baringo due to loss of habitat.

28 Cases Attended to by SWT/KWS Meru Vet Unit April - June 2021 12

10

8 Other 6

Giraffe Plains Game

4

Rhinos Predators

2

Elephant

0 Bullet Wound

Poaching Postmortem

Snared

Poaching

Spear Human Wildlife Conflict

Natural Causes

Postmortem

Relocation

Outcomes of Cases Attended to by SWT/KWS Meru Vet Unit April - June 2021 HWC Death 7% Poaching Death 18% Prognosis Poor 3%

Died 21%

Successful Cases 43%

Taken to Orphanage 4% Not Located 4%

SWT/KWS Meru Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations April – June 2021

April 2021

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

May 2021

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

June 2021

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

SWT/KWS AMBOSELI MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OVERVIEW April – June 2021

20 Cases

7 Poaching Cases

9 Elephant Cases

The Amboseli Vet Unit attended to 20 cases between April and June. Of these cases, 9 involved elephants including 5 spearing incidents, 1 arrow case and 2 cases where elephants died from natural causes. One of the spearing cases also resulted in the rescue of a calf after the death of the mother. Sadly 3 lions and 1 hyena were poisoned due to human-wildlife conflict. The Unit was also involved in the ear-notching of 17 black rhinos in Tsavo West National Park, and the relocation of 22 zebras, 7 wildebeest and 2 hartebeest.

Eight baboons were also immobilised and sampled, one of which was collared, for research purposes.

20 Cases Attended to by SWT/KWS Amboseli Vet Unit April - June 2021 8 7 6 5

Other Giraffe

4

Plains Game Rhinos

3

Predators 2

Elephant

1 0 Poaching

Human Wildlife Conflict

Natural Causes

Postmortem

Rescue

Collared

Relocation

Technical Cases

Outcomes of Cases Attended to by SWT/KWS Amboseli Vet Unit April - June 2021 Prognosis Poor 5%

Poaching Death 10%

HWC Death 15%

Died 25% Successful Cases 40%

Taken to Orphanage 5%

SWT/KWS Amboseli Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations April – June 2021

April 2021

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

May 2021

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

June 2021

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

SWT/KWS MT KENYA MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OVERVIEW April – June 2021

37 Cases

12 Rhino Cases

11 Elephant Cases

The Mt Kenya Wildlife Veterinary Unit attended to 37 wildlife cases that required veterinary intervention in the Laikipia ecosystem and Mt. Kenya region. These cases included treatment of 4 elephants for bullet wounds and 1 poisoning case related to human-wildlife conflict. The Unit also rescued a juvenile elephant, de-collared an elephant and attended to 3 cases related to natural causes as well as 1 post-mortem where death was assumed to be natural. One rhino was treated for a bullet wound and a post-mortem was conducted on a rhino which was determined to be a poaching attempt. Six other rhinos were treated for natural causes and 4 post-mortems were conducted which were also natural deaths.

37 Cases Attended to by SWT/KWS Mount Kenya Vet Unit April - June 2021 18 16 14 12 Other Giraffe

10

Plains Game 8

Rhinos Predators

6

Elephant 4 2 0 Poaching

Human Wildlife Natural Causes Conflict

Postmortem

Rescue

Relocation

Technical Cases

Outcomes of Cases Attended to by SWT/KWS Mount Kenya Vet Unit April - June 2021 Prognosis Poor 11% Poaching Death 8%

Successful Cases 54%

HWC Death 3%

Died 21%

Taken to Orphanage 3%

SWT/KWS Mt Kenya Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations April – June 2021

April 2021

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

May 2021

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

June 2021

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

SWT/KWS RIFT VALLEY MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OVERVIEW June 2021

33 Cases

17 Poaching Cases

24 Plains Game Cases

Parts of the Central Rift Conservation area, including south and north of Lake Naivasha have received sporadic rains which has provided good pasture and forage for the herbivores. Generally, the mornings are cold but, later in the day it is hot, sunny and windy. The newly launched Rift Valley Mobile Veterinary Unit visited the following areas; Kedong ranch, Marula Estates, Pepper corn farm, Loldia farm, Green Park Estate, Color Crops farm, Aquilla farm, KALRO- Olmagogo, Kenya Nut – Olmurogi, Hippo Point-Mundui Estate, Milwar Enterprises farm, Ndabibi Central, Aberdares National Park, Lake Nakuru National Park, Mt Elgon National Park among other areas. The Unit attended to a variety of cases including 17 poaching incidents. snared animals, human wildlife conflict cases and relocations as outlined below.

33 Cases Attended to by SWT/KWS Rift Valley Vet Unit April - June 2021 18 16 14 12 Other

10

Buffalo Plains Game

8

Rhinos 6

Predators

4 2 0 Poaching

Human Wildlife Conflict

Natural Causes

Relocation

Technical Cases

Outcomes of Cases Attended to by SWT/KWS Rift Valley Vet Unit April - June 2021

Prognosis Poor 21%

Poaching Death 9%

Successful Cases 64%

HWC Death 3% Died 3%

SWT/KWS Rift Valley Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations June 2021

June 2021

To see the full report for the Rift Valley Vet Unit for the month of June 2021 click here