SWT/KWS SKY VET UNIT QUARTERLY REPORT FEBRUARY - MAY 2021
SKY VET QUARTERLY OVERVIEW
16 Cases
7 Poaching Cases
13 Elephant Cases
During February to May 2021 the SWT/KWS Sky Vet program was called to handle 16 wildlife cases, 13 of which were supported by the SWT helicopter and fixed wing aircrafts to help with darting operations, rescues, search and monitoring operations and rapid transport of vets to emergency cases. One helicopter was outsourced, and two planes were chartered from Nairobi. 13 of these cases involved elephants including, 4 poaching cases, 2 rescues and 7 treatments that were due to natural causes. Of the 13 cases, 6 were successfully treated, 4 were given a poor prognosis and 1 sadly was euthanised after suffering a complete fracture of the leg and was unable to move. Her calf was then rescued and flown to the Nairobi Nursery. Another elephant calf was also flown to the orphanage after it was found alone with several bite wounds. Of the elephant poaching cases there were 3 snares and 1 arrow wound injury. The other 3 cases involved a giraffe with an arrow wound, and a Wild dog and zebra with snare injuries. The zebra should make a full recovery, but the Wild dog did not survive the treatment. Out of the 16 cases treated there was an 50% success rate and 25% of cases survived but were given a guarded prognosis. Sadly, 6% died naturally, another 6% died due to poaching and 13% were taken to an orphanage. The Sky Vet program has deployed KWS vets to the following locations during this reporting period
16 Cases Attended to by the Sky Vet Unit February to May 2021 8 7 6 5 Zebra Wild Dog
4
Giraffe Elephant
3
2 1 0 Snared
Arrow
Natural Causes
Rescue
Outcomes of Cases Attended to by the Sky Vet Unit February to May 2021
Taken to Orphanage 13%
Successfully Treated 50%
Died 6%
Poaching Death 6%
Prognosis Poor 25%
Case 1 – 6th February 2021 Giraffe
Arrow
Rukinga Ranch, Taita Ranches
Poaching of giraffes, which are killed for their hide, meat, bones, and tails, has increased across Africa. And as the human populations grow and expand into former wildlands, the giraffes have also fallen victim to retaliatory killings for crop damage and hunting for bushmeat. On the 6th of February, the TMVU received a report from Wildlife Works Rangers of a female Rothchild’s giraffe with an arrow wound. Immobilisation, examination and treatment The vet was airlifted by a helicopter and darted the female giraffe with a combination of 14 mg Etorphine and 30mg of Xylazine. She went down after 10 minutes and was quickly secured. A blindfold was put in place and the anaesthesia reversed with a combination of 18mg Diprenorphine and 2.5mg of Atipamezole. The giraffe was then restrained manually for treatment. The giraffe had a penetrating wound on the hip of the left hind leg suspected to be from an arrow. The wound was cleaned and Alamycin spray applied. In order to manage pain and bacterial infections, long acting antibiotics and anti-inflammatories were administered parenterally. Prognosis The giraffe was released and walked away with a good prognosis for recovery being indicated.
Case 2 – 27th March 2021 Elephant
Natural Causes
Chyulu Hills, Tsavo
One Ton, a large adult, elephant bull was reported to have a large, infected wound on its neck. The big tusker is one of the few in the Tsavo - Amboseli ecosystem and is notably one of the most recognizable elephants. Immobilisation, examination and treatment The elephant was darted with 18mg Etorphine hydrochloride, delivered using a Dan-Inject CO2 rifle, fired from a helicopter. The elephant was recumbent 9 minutes after darting and fell on sternal recumbency then was quickly roped and pulled onto right lateral recumbency. The wound was more than 6 inches deep and the surrounding tissue was inflamed and infected. The cause was possibly from an accidental puncture with a branch or tree stump and there was no evidence that it was human inflicted. The wound was flushed with 6% Hydrogen peroxide and disinfected with Iodine. Afterwards, 20cc Amoxicillin was inserted into the wound, and a layer of green clay applied to cover the wound. Topical Alamycin spray was applied to deter parasites and as an antibiotic. He was also administered with 1,500mg Amoxicillin and 240mg Dexamethasone as an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory respectively. Prognosis The prognosis is good. The animal is to be monitored for at least a week to assess the progress of the healing.
Case 3 – 3rd April 2021 Elephant
Natural Causes
Dol dol, Laikipia
Dol Dol Community reported to the local Rangers that they had sighted a limping elephant. The injured elephant was among a herd of five other elephants that were protecting the injured bull. The terrain was challenging so a helicopter was requested to dart the elephant and to separate the group for treatment. Immobilisation, examination and treatment The helicopter managed to successfully separate most of the herd. Two elephants remained with the injured elephant, including the injured bull’s mother. The mother refused to leave the injured elephant and so the vet had to dart the mother first. She was darted from the helicopter with 18mg Etorphine. The remaining elephant was driven away with the helicopter then the injured elephant was darted with 16mg Etorphine. The team divided into two groups, one to ensure that the mother was safe and another to the injured candidate for treatment. The general body condition of the mother was ideal and there was no need for treatment. The mother was then reversed and driven away by the helicopter so the team could treat the injured elephant. The injured limb did not have any wounds of concern. Manipulation of the limb revealed that the shoulder was dislocated. There wasn’t any physical treatment that could be done but he was given prophylactic antibiotic treatment of 15,000mg Amoxicillin and 800mg of Flunixin Meglumine for inflammation and pain as well as 20ml Catosal as a metabolic stimulant. Prognosis Prognosis was guarded, as the injury was untreatable and terrain challenging, but he is being cared for by his herd.
Case 4 – 6th April 2021 Elephant
Snared
Tana River District
Bushmeat poaching continues to top the list of the major threats to wildlife populations not only in Kenya but also globally. This is driven by the demand for wildlife products such as hides, horns and meat. The Tsavo Mobile Veterinary team was involved in rescuing an elephant calf from a snare. Due to the terrain and remote location of the snared baby elephant, a helicopter flew the vet team to the scene. The elephant calf was in distress due to being anchored to a stake with a rope snare. .
Immobilisation, Examination and Treatment Since the calf’s family was some distance away it gave room to the vet to carry out the urgently needed treatment, the elephant calf was darted with 4mg Etorphine. Once under full immobilization, the rope snare around the right forelimb was cut off. He was administered with 20mg of Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate and 1,500mg of Amoxicillin and Vitamin B12 parenterally. Prognosis The anaesthesia was reversed with 12mg of Diprenorphine intravenously and 40mg of Naltrexone intramuscularly. The elephant calf got up after 3 minutes, looked back with a sign of relief knowing he was free again before rushing into the thick bush to reunite with the family. .
Case 5 – 16th April 2021 Elephant
Snared
Shimba Hills National Reserve
The use of wire snares in trapping animals continues to pose a threat to wild animals and wildlife populations as a whole. Elephants among other wildlife species fall as victims to the cruel acts by poachers because of their tusks and meat. This together with habitat loss has seen a substantial decline in elephant populations globally. The Tsavo Mobile Veterinary Unit was notified of an elephant bull with a wire snare in Shimba Hills National Park. Based on the nature of the terrain and distance to be covered, the Vet and his assistant were airlifted to the area to perform the needed treatment.
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Immobilisation, Examination and Treatment The affected bull was traced into the thick bush cover and once sighted; he was darted with 18mg of Etorphine. Full immobilization was achieved after 10 minutes. He had a wire snare around the carpal joint of the left forelimb that was burrowing deep into the flesh. The wire was cut and the wound cleaned with Iodine and Hydrogen peroxide. He was administered with Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate and 7,500mg of Amoxicillin parenterally. Prognosis Due to the severity of the wound, prognosis for recovery is guarded and follow up treatment maybe needed.
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Case 6 – 17th April 2021 Elephant
Rescue
Tsavo East National Park
The Tsavo Mobile Veterinary Unit received a report of a lone elephant calf sighted circling a Telecommunications mast near the Miasenyi SGR station. The Veterinary team quickly drove to the area and found the elephant calf lying down with bite wounds to the tail and the sole of both hind limbs.
Examination and treatment The wounds were cleaned and covered with an Oxytetracycline spray (Alamycin Aerosol). He was administered with antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and Vitamin B12. Water was poured on him to manage hyperthermia and 20mg of Azaperone administered to calm him down. Prognosis The elephant bull was later airlifted to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust orphaned Elephant nursery in Nairobi for further monitoring and treatment.
Case 7 – 24th April 2021 Elephant
Arrow
Tsavo East National Park
A report was received by the Tsavo Veterinary Unit from the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust of a wounded elephant bull sighted in the Ndia-ndasa area of Tsavo East National Park. The Veterinary team was airlifted from Voi to the area. Immobilisation, examination and treatment Once the bull was sighted, he was driven from the deep swamp to an open dry ground with a helicopter. He was darted from the air with 18mg Etorphine and went down after 8 minutes. Water was poured on him to cool his body under the extreme temperatures before proceeding to examine his wounds. The elephant bull was suffering from contaminated penetrating wounds to the right shoulder. Hydrogen peroxide and Iodine were used to clean the wound before infusing it with an antibiotic ointment and packing with Tetracycline and green clay because of its healing properties. Anti-inflammatories and 30,000mg of amoxicillin were administered parenterally. Prognosis The elephant stood 5 minutes after the anaesthetic was reversed and walked back to the swamp greatly relieved.
Case 8 – 24th April 2021 Elephant
Natural Causes
Chyulu Hills, Tsavo
After treating an elephant bull for an arrow wound in Ndia-ndasa swamp, the Vet Unit were airlifted by a helicopter to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Umani springs reintegration unit to examine and treat an orphan elephant bull for lameness. Immobilisation, examination and treatment The target elephant bull was in an open ground with fellow elephant orphans. He was darted with 10mg of Etorphine and went down after 8 minutes. The fellow elephant orphans were driven away with a vehicle and once they were at a safe distance, the vet proceeded to examine the affected bull. He was diagnosed with a splayed forelimb. Water was poured on him to minimize hyperthermia. The bull was administered with 15,000mg Amoxicillin, Vitamin B12 and anti-inflammatories parenterally. Prognosis The anaesthesia was reversed with 24mg Diprenorphine and 40mg Naltrexone. He rose after 5 minutes and walked away. The prognosis for recovery is good.
Case 9 – 24th April 2021 Elephant
Natural Causes
Kaluku, Tsavo
After the rescue of an abandoned calf with bite wounds to the tail in Miasenyi area, the Tsavo Mobile Vet Unit were contacted to perform a follow up treatment for his wounds. The veterinary team flew to Kaluku from Umani Springs reintegration Unit to examine the calf and perform a treatment. Immobilisation, examination and treatment The elephant calf was noted to be active and in a good body condition. He was manually restrained and the wounds to the tail cleaned with Iodine, excess tissues cut off and Alamycin spray applied. Prognosis With continued monitoring, the prognosis for his recovery is good.
Case 10 – 3rd May 2021 Elephant
Natural Causes
Umani Springs, Chyulu National Park
Luggard was rescued when he was just a few months old in March 2016. He suffered two bullet wounds, one to his foot and another shattering his right leg just above the joint. He did not let his disability hamper his activities and flourished at the Nairobi Nursery despite suffering from a permanent limp. In 2020, Luggard was moved to the Umani Springs Reintegration Unit, a Unit specifically tailored for physically compromised elephants. Luggard did extremely well in the beginning, but unfortunately early in 2021 Luggard’s condition began to deteriorate. Observations Luggard’s right rear leg would swell up periodically, hindering his mobility. Originally, he recovered from these flare ups quickly, but they began to reoccur more frequently. On the 3rd May, Dr Njoroge was flown from Nairobi to Umani Springs to bring some medications to ease Luggard;s condition and to take blood samples to determine the cause of Luggard’s deterioration and swelling. Surprisingly, the blood readings did not reveal anything sinister that would explain Luggard’s poor condition and swollen leg. Prognosis Prognosis is poor as a diagnosis could not be made. Prognosis With continued monitoring, the prognosis for his recovery is good.
Case 11 & 12 – 4th May 2021 Elephant
Natural Causes/Rescue
Chyulu Hills
A lame and immobile elephant was reported to AMVU by the KWS Loitoktok office. Community Scouts from Big Life Foundation and KWS assisted AMVU in accessing the elephant cow for examination. The elephant had a severe right hind limb fracture that lead to pain and immobility. The cow had to assume a sitting position every time she made a stride or moved. She was in the same position for two days prior to the veterinary visit. The elephant was a female aged about 35-50 years and had a calf.
Immobilisation, Examination and Management The elephant was darted from a helicopter using 20 mg Etorphine hydrochloride. The cow had a fracture leading to a grave prognosis. The calf was rescued and flown to the Nairobi stockade for further care. After the calf was rescued and flown to Nairobi, the elephant mother was euthanised on welfare grounds to prevent further suffering. Post-mortem Findings The necropsy revealed a complete tibia fracture of the right hind limb. However, the cause of the fracture was not established but could have resulted from a fall.
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Case 13 – 9th May 2021 Zebra
Snare
Naivaisha
The zebra was suffering from a wire snare which was deeply embedded into soft tissues of the left forelimb, around the neck and thoracic region. The snare had been there for quite some time and was life threatening. SWT made an immediate plan to airlift a vet from Nairobi KWS headquarters to attend to the case through the Sky Vet programme. Immobilisation, examination and treatment The zebra was darted from a vehicle with 7mg Etorphine and 70mg Azaperone. The snare was removed leaving a deep wound that was full of pus as the wire snare was deeply embedded into soft tissues. The left forelimb was heavily wounded and swollen. The wounds were cleaned with copious amounts of water to remove mud, dirt and pus. The wound was thoroughly cauterized with Hydrogen peroxide and was liberally cleaned with tincture of Iodine, The sinuses formed by the embedded wire were also thoroughly lavaged with tincture of Iodine . Oxytetracycline spray and cream were also applied. The zebra was administered 30ml Oxytetracycline and 20ml Dexamethasone. Prognosis Prognosis for full recovery is good.
Case 14 – 10th May 2021 Elephant
Snared
Shimba Hills
The TMVU received a report of a lame elephant bull in the community area around Shimba Hills National Reserve. The elephant had a wire snare on the left hindlimb resulting in a heavily infected wound. The vet team was airlifted from Voi Airstrip to the area to examine the affected elephant and carry out the crucially needed treatment.
Immobilisation, examination and treatment Once sighted, the elephant was darted from a helicopter with 12mg Etorphine and full immobilization was achieved after 7 minutes. Copious amount of water was poured on her to keep her cool. The elephant cow had a contaminated wound on the left hindleg around the carpal joint caused by a wire snare. The wire snare was cut using wire cutters and the dead tissue debrided with Hydrogen peroxide. The wound was then cleaned with Iodine and packed with green clay for its healing properties. He was administered with anti-inflammatories and antibiotics to manage pain/inflammation and bacterial infections respectively before being revived with 12mg Diprenorphine and 40mg Naltrexone intravenously and let go. Prognosis The prognosis for recovery is favourable.
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Case 15 – 28th May 2021 Wild Dog
Snared
Tsavo East National Park
Kaluku SWT office reported a snared wild dog to AMVU. The SWT desnaring team further assisted in locating the wild dog for darting and treatment. The Unit were airlifted to the area via helicopter. Immobilisation, examination and treatment The wild dog was darted from a vehicle using a combination of 20mg Ketamine hydrochloride and 1mg Medetomidine. The wild dog had a wire snare around the neck The wire was removed, and the wound treated. Hydrogen peroxide debrided the dead tissue while Iodine solution was irrigated into the wound to cover for bacterial infection. 10ml Amoxicillin (Betamox®) and 1ml Ivermectin were used to protect against bacterial infection and parasitic infestation respectively. Prognosis Sadly, the dog did not recover from the anaesthesia.
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Case 16 – 29th May 2021 Elephant
Natural Causes
Kaluku, Tsavo
The TMVU was made aware of an elephant bull sighted around the Kaluku area in Tsavo East with marked lameness. Based on the urgency of treatment, the veterinary team drove to the area to ascertain the cause of lameness and carry out the needed treatment.
Immobilisation, examination and treatment The bull was darted from a helicopter with 16mg of Etorphine and went down on lateral recumbency after 10 minutes. He was quickly secured, and airways ensured to be patent to aid in normal breathing before proceeding with physical examination. The bull had abrasion wounds to the right side, near the eye, and on the rump. The wounds were cleaned with Iodine and sprayed Alamycin spray. The elbow joint of the left forelimb was also noted to be swollen and suspected to be due to a fracture or dislocation after palpation. Anti-inflammatories and 1,500mg of Amoxicillin were administered to manage the inflammation and any bacterial infections before reversing the anaesthesia with 24mg Diprenorphine and 40mg Naltrexone. Prognosis He stood with the aid of a cruiser after 5 minutes and walked away. The prognosis is guarded to poor. .