9.
INJURED LION, TALEK AREA (MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE), 28TH AUGUST 2016
History This lion was seen with serious fight injuries by a tour guide on the morning of 26th August 2016. He reported this to the veterinary unit. Immediate search in conjunction with the county rangers was fruitless as this lion had moved away into hiding. The search continued for the next two days where he was located some kilometres away from the initial spot. General observation He was found lying in a small bush near a lugga with two females nearby. A carcass belonging to a topi was seen nearby and assumed to have been killed by the females. This injured male looked well fed and it was thought he had a share of the topi meal. He had injuries on her back, left front and left hind limb all suspected to have been caused by fight with other lions. Immobilization, examination and treatment Restraint was achieved chemically by use of a combination of 4.8mgs medetomidine and 250mgs ketamine delivered through a 3ml daninject dart from a vehicle. This male was completely anaesthetized after ten minutes. After making sure he was stable, examination was conducted which revealed deep bite wounds on his back, left hind and forelimbs. The wounds were thought to have been caused by fights with other males over territories. These wounds were relatively fresh. All the wounds were debrided with hydrogen peroxide, rinsed with clean water and wiped dry with sterile gauze swab. Tincture of iodine disinfectant and cloxacillin antibiotic were applied. In addition, this lion received 3000mgs amoxicillin antibiotics and 16mgs dexamethasone sodium antiinflammatory, all given intramuscularly. Reversal Achieved by intramuscular administration of 15mgs atepamezole hydrochloride one hour after immobilization. He woke up ten minutes after reversal and moved towards the female colleagues. Prognosis Good.