SWT/KWS Ambo Veterinary Unit Report for March 2025
SWT/KWS AMBOSELI MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT
MARCH 2025
7 Cases in March
March Report by Dr. Kariuki Edward
HWC Case
The AMVU attended to seven vet cases during March involving leopards, elephants, lions and baboons. There were no poaching cases and only one Human-Wildlife Conflict Case.
The Southern Conservation Area and the Amboseli Ecosystem experienced a hot and dry period in March 2025. However, it started raining during the last days of the month, but the change in weather did not affect the trend during the month.
Acknowledgement
We thank Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT) for material support and Mobile Unit funding. KWS Staff, BLF rangers and others not mentioned but who supported the monitoring of distressed wildlife in areas of interest are highly acknowledged and appreciated.
Case Details
4-Mar-25
5-Mar-25 Primate Kitirua, Amboseli NP Collared
6-Mar-25
7-Mar-25
Chyulu Hills Postmortem An elephant cow was found dead in Kiboko Died
9-Mar-25 Leopard Amboseli NP
Wildlife Conflict The leopard had spear and sword wounds on the hind and forelimb, at the back, at the neck HWC Death
24-Mar-25 Lion Kimana Sanctuary Collared The lion was found in good body condition and had an external injury at the neck due to an old collar
24-Mar-25 Elephant Kuku Group Ranch
Causes
elephant had an old wound and no serious injury apart from the lameness
March 2025
Case 1 – 4th March 2025
Lion
Collaring Imbirikani
Lion Guardians reported a problem lion and requested that the AMVU assist in collaring the lioness The vet team visited Imbirikani during February and March to locate the lion, while the guardians conducted a search for 2 months and finally recommended the best place for capture and collar fixing.
Immobilisation and collaring
The lion was found in good body condition but had two old and healed spear injuries. Amoxicillin injection was applied to cover for bacterial infection.
The collar was fixed successfully.
Prognosis
The lion was revived using Atipamezole (an antagonist for the Medetomidine) and favourably woke up after drug administration.
Case 2 – 3rd to 6th March 2025
Baboon Collaring Kitirua, Amboseli NP
Baboon Trust has over 50 years of research on baboons in Amboseli. The Trust follows a group of approximately 400 baboons in the Amboseli Ecosystem. This family of baboons is routinely followed using both GPS and VHF collars. During March 2025, AMVU and Baboon Trust Researchers, with the authority of the KWS and Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI) captured 5 baboons for routine sampling and collar replacements. Additionally, a heart monitor was fixed in two baboons.
Immobilisation and collaring
Five adult baboons (2 males, and 3 females) were immobilized, sampled, and collared using VHF and GPS collars. Data, including body mass, long bone measurements, tooth casts, hair samples, and blood samples for genetics were collected. The VHF collars were deployed on 2 females and 1 male. The two GPS collars were deployed on a male and a female.
The Immobilized baboons presented with good body condition, an average temperature of 35.8 degrees, and weighed between 8kg-28kg. The dental formulae and examined lymph nodes were normal in size with a few slightly enlarged. Enlarged lymph nodes were attributed to females on active menstrual periods or males with minor wounds/injuries. The above conditions confirmed the fitness that followed the fixing of the VHF and GPS collars.
Elephant
Natural Causes
A male elephant was found lame and reported to AMVU. The vet team travelled to the site and immobilized the bull for examination and treatment.
Immobilisation, examination and treatment
The elephant was successfully immobilised using 20mg of Etorphine HCl and was fully immobilised in 8 minutes.
The elephant had an old wound and no serious injury apart from the lameness. The wound was sprayed with Oxytetracycline spray.
Reversal and prognosis
The elephant was revived using Naltrexone (an antagonist for the immobilisation drug) and favourably woke up shortly after drug administration. The elephant moved into the nearby area and could not be traced again.
Prognosis is good. .
Amboseli NP
Case
Elephant Postmortem Kiboko, Chyulu Hills
An elephant cow was found dead in Kiboko and reported to AMVU on 7th March 2025. The AMVU team travelled to the site and conducted a postmortem examination.
Postmortem examination
The elephant cow was located in open ground.
The carcass had excessive abdominal maggots and a lot of haemorrhages and congestion of most body organs.
Cause of death
Suspected natural death due to old age.
Human-Wildlife-Conflict
Oloilalei, Amboseli
The Lion Guardians in Eselengei found an injured leopard in the Oloilalei area. The incident followed a case of poisoning in the area after a wild animal ate a cow. The carcass was burnt around it so that the smell would attract the animals to the poisoned carcass. The cow was also replaced with a sheep carcass, and poison was added. Hyenas and leopard's footprints were found in the area.
Postmortem examination
The leopard had spear and sword wounds on the hind and forelimb, at the back, at the neck (deep cutting) extending to the mouth and at the scapula (a deep wound of a spear which went deep to almost appearing on the other side). Maggots were found in the wounds, and no external parasites were found.
The muscle tissues, heart, kidney, small intestines and large intestines were normal and had no significant pathology. The colon contained tiny bones, brown fur and pieces of meat (seemingly of a small animal).
Cause of death
The leopard was brutally killed using spears and machetes. The leopard was likely an incidental finding and not involved with the poisoning case.
Collaring
A lion was reported to have a tight collar that had inflicted a wound.
Immobilisation and collaring
The lion was successfully immobilized using a combination of 300mg of Ketamine HCl and Medetomidine and was fully immobilised in 20 minutes.
The lion was found in good body condition and had an external injury at the neck due to an old collar. The collar was removed and could not be replaced due to the wound. Amoxicillin injection was given to cover for bacterial infection. Iodine and topical Oxytetracycline spray were also applied.
Prognosis
The lion was revived using Atipamezole (an antagonist for the Medetomidine) and favourably woke up after drug administration.
Elephant Natural Causes
Kuku Group Ranch
A male elephant was found lame and reported to AMVU. The vet team travelled to the site and immobilized the bull for examination and treatment.
Immobilisation, examination and treatment
The elephant was successfully darted with 20mg of Etorphine HCl and was fully immobilised in 8 minutes. However, the elephant went down on a sternal recumbency and in bad terrain and under a tree. An accompanying young male also decided not to leave the elephant and had to be immobilized as well. The circumstances following the immobilization were not favourable and the elephant had to be revived quicker than would be a normal procedure.
The elephant had an old wound and no serious injury apart from the lameness. The wound was covered with Oxytetracycline spray, and the elephant was given an Amoxicillin injection.
Prognosis
The elephant was revived using Naltrexone (an antagonist for the immobilisation drug) and favourably woke up shortly after drug administration. The elephant moved into the nearby area with a good prognosis.
