SWT/KWS Sky Vets Report February – May 2022

SWT/KWS SKY VET UNIT QUARTERLY REPORT FEBRUARY 2022 - MAY 2022

SKY VET QUARTERLY OVERVIEW

14 Cases

7 Poaching Cases

8 Elephant Cases

During February 2022 to May 2022 the SWT/KWS Sky Vet program was called to handle 14 wildlife cases.

8 of these cases involved elephants including, 5 poaching cases; 1 snared and 4 spear injuries. The only snare wound was a young calf in the Shimba Hills in the South Coast. The SWT helicopter was used to carry the vet and locate the elephant. Both mother and calf had to be immobilised but thankfully the snare was removed successfully. Out of the elephant cases, all were treated successfully, except one elephant that was given a poor prognosis and another that was taken to the orphanage. The other two poaching cases involved a snared leopard and a speared zebra. Both were treated successfully, though the leopard needs to be monitored and reviewed as its injuries were severe.

As the Mara Unit were away, a chartered plane was schedule to carry KWS Dr Njoroge from Nairobi to the Masai Mara where he attended 3 cases over two days involving a zebra, warthog and lion. Thankfully the zebra and warthog were given a good prognosis and the lion did not require immobilisation as the wound was already healing.

Out of the 14 cases treated there was an 86% success rate and 7% of cases survived but were given a guarded prognosis and 6% were taken to an orphanage.

The Sky Vet program has deployed KWS vets to the following locations during this reporting period

14 Cases Attended to by the SWT/KWS Sky Vet Unit February - May 2022 8

7

6

5 Other Plains Game

4

Predators Elephant

3

2

1

0 Poaching

Natural Causes

Rescue

Outcomes of Cases Attended to by the SWT/KWS Sky Vet Unit February - May 2022

Prognosis Poor 7% Successful Cases 86%

Taken to Orphanage 7%

Case 1 – 4th February 2022 Elephant

Natural Causes

Triangle, Tsavo East National Park

The elephant bull was spotted by SWT aircraft with lameness of the front limb. The Vet team travelled to the area by road and met a team on the ground and was later joined by SWT chopper which spotted the elephant nearby. The drugs and darts were prepared.

Immobilisation, examination and treatment The bull was immobilized with 18mgs Etorphine Hcl in a Dan-inject dart syringe. The elephant was darted on the rump from a helicopter and went down after 9 minutes. Water was poured on the ears to cool him down from the prevailing high Tsavo temperatures.

The bull was examined and noted to have a sprained front limb with no open wound or fracture. The elephant was administered with Flunixin Meglumine to relieve the pain.

Prognosis Prognosis is good.

Case 2 – 11th February 2022 Elephant

Spear

Kasigau Ranch, Taita

This elephant bull was seen by the Wildlife Works pilot with marked lameness of the limb near the water hole within the Community Conservancy. A team on the ground was sent to confirm the case and found the sickly elephant near the water hole. The Vet Team was airlifted by the SWT helicopter to the area for quick response. They met a ground team waiting nearby.

Immobilisation, examination and treatment The bull was immobilized with 18mgs Etorphine in a Dan-inject dart. The elephant was darted in the rump from a helicopter and herded to a clearing. He went down after 9 minutes. Water was poured on the ears to keep him cool during treatment.

Examination revealed a penetrating wound, likely a spear wound, to the lower right front limb with pus oozing out. The wound was cleaned with Hydrogen peroxide and flushed with Iodine before being covered with green clay. He was administered with anti-inflammatories to relief the pain and long-acting antibiotics.

Prognosis Finally, the anaesthesia was reversed, and the bull assisted onto his feet. Prognosis is guarded

Case 3 – 11th February 2022 Elephant

Spear

Kasigau Ranch, Taita

A few minutes after treating an elephant, another one was spotted nearby also limping. The elephant bull was also seen by the Wildlife Works pilot. A team on the ground was sent to confirm the case and found the injured elephant near a water hole. After finishing with the first elephant, the Vet Unit travelled to the second injured elephant and prepared the necessary drugs.

Immobilisation, examination and treatment The bull was immobilized with 18mgs Etorphine Hcl in the rump from the helicopter. The bull was then herded to a clearing and went down after 10 minutes. Water was poured on the ears to cool him down from the prevailing high temperatures.

The bull was noted to have a penetrating pus-filled wound on the lower left front limb. This was also likely a spear wound. The wound was cleaned with Hydrogen peroxide, flushed with Iodine then packed with green clay. He was administered with anti-inflammatories to relief the pain and long-acting antibiotics Prognosis The anaesthesia was reversed and the bull assisted onto his feet. Prognosis is good.

Case 4 – 15th February 2022 Elephant

Spear

Ithumba, Tsavo East National Park

AMVU was notified of an elephant suffering a wound on the right forelimb. The elephant was lame and rubbed the wound constantly. AMVU team with the help of the SWT caravan and helicopter located the elephant for examination and treatment.

Immobilisation, examination and treatment The elephant presented with lameness but had good body condition. He was active and ran away when approached with a helicopter. The elephant was darted from the helicopter using a projectile dart containing 20mg Etorphine placed intramuscularly in the rump. The bull fell on sternal recumbency and a tractor put him on the preferred lateral recumbency.

The wound, which was most likely caused by a spear, was open and infected. The wound was rinsed thoroughly with clean water then injectable Amoxicillin was irrigated into the wound. Additionally, intramuscular injections with Amoxicillin helped to cover for any opportunistic systemic infection.

Prognosis Good. Wound management was successful, and the elephant recovered safely from chemical anaesthesia.

Case 5 – 24th March 2022 Elephant

Natural Causes

Tsavo West National Park

One SWT pilot while on patrol sighted the lame elephant. The AMVU team responded on the same day for examination and treatment. The SWT aircraft picked the Vet team from Amboseli and the SWT helicopter aided in elephant darting.

Immobilisation, examination and treatment The elephant was lame with a long-term scapula fracture. It was treated with antibiotics and left to remain in the area.

The injury is an old case that had been present for years before the day of the treatment.

Relocation, revival and prognosis The animal had a presented with favorable prognosis but will remain lame for life. The scapula is crucial for weight bearing and such a massive and weighty animal pose a lifetime challenge to mobility.

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Case 6 – 5th April 2022 Elephant

Snare

Shimba Hills, Kwale

The elephant calf was reported by the honorary Warden Shimba Hills National Reserve as she had a tight wire snare around its front limb and dragging a long wire and a twig. The mother was close by protecting her. The snare was cutting deep into the limp nearly severing it and the calf was in great pain. The Vet team was airlifted by the SWT helicopter to the area and easily located the mother and calf.

Immobilisation, examination and treatment Due to the thick vegetation and challenging terrain, the mother elephant was darted in the rump with 16mgs Etorphine. The mother went down after 8 minutes and then the calf was physically captured and restrained.

The wire snare on the left front limb was cut loose, then the wound was cleaned with Hydrogen peroxide mixed with water, then doused with tincture of Iodine and covered with green clay. The calf was also given long-acting antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. The calf was transported and reunited with her mother and both woken up by administration of Diprenorphine at 3 times the Etorphine dose.

Prognosis They both stood up and walked away calmly. Prognosis is good.

Case 7 – 16th April 2022 Elephant

Spear

Kaluku, Tsavo

This elephant bull was seen injured and reported to Tsavo Mobile Veterinary Unit by the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust air patrol team based in Kaluku. He had a septic wound oozing pus on his right rump.

Immobilisation, examination and treatment The bull had moved about 5km from the point where he was first seen. He had retreated into a thick bush and helicopter services were required for him to be traced and pushed to an accessible area. The bull was darted from a helicopter as he was being pushed to an open area. He was darted with 18 mg of Etorphine through a 1.5ml Dan inject dart and went down on right lateral recumbency in 10 minutes.

The bull was in good body condition but had a deep septic wound on the right rump. The wound was thoroughly cleaned with Hydrogen peroxide to remove the dead tissue and rinsed with clean water. Tincture of Iodine was applied as an antiseptic. Chlortetracycline pessaries were inserted into the wound and green clay applied to prevent sepsis. 3,000mgs of Amoxicillin antibiotic and 100 mg of Dexamethasone antiinflammatories were administered intramuscularly.

Prognosis He retreated into the bush 3 minutes after the anaesthetic was reversed. Prognosis is good.

Case 8 – 27th April 2022 Leopard

Snared

Ishaq Bin, Tana River

Members of the Ishaqbin Conservancy reported that they had sighted a snared leopard and could not rescue it alone as it was tethered to a tree stump. The leopard was about 10 to 12 months old. SWT sent a plane to collect the vet from Nairobi to treat the leopard.

Immobilisation, examination and treatment The leopard was darted with 2mg Medetomidine and 220mg Ketamine delivered using a Dart-inject gun from a vehicle and the animal went down after 6 minutes. The general body condition of the leopard was good.

There was a tight snare which caused a large open wound on the left forelimb at the fetlock joint. The tight snare had cut through the limb. The snare was removed with a wire cutter. The wound was then cleaned using plenty of water then cauterized with Hydrogen peroxide. The wound was then lavaged with tincture of Iodine, packed with green clay and sprayed with topical antibiotic spray to prevent infection and facilitate healing. Amoxicillin and Phenylbutazon were administered to cover for infection, inflammation and pain.

Prognosis The prognosis was good as the animal appears to be in good body condition and is expected to recover well following treatment Rangers will continue to monitor her progress and adaption to her injury.

Case 9 – 28th April 2022 Zebra

Natural Causes

Kaluku, Tsavo

After treating the leopard, an injured zebra was seen close to the Kaluku airstrip so a plane was organized to transport the vet to the area before continuing on to Nairobi.

Immobilisation, examination and treatment The zebra was darted from a vehicle with 7mg Etorphine and 60mg Azaperone. He went down on the left side after 10 minutes.

The general body condition of the zebra was good. The left eye was injured possibly as a result of a territorial fight. There was soft tissue damage without injury to the pupil which was treated with Penicillin and Phenylbutazone to cover for infection, inflammation and pain. The eyelids were injected with Penicillin and Dexamethasone to clear infection alleviate pain and inflammation of the eye.

Prognosis The prognosis was good as the animal appears to be in good body condition and is expected to recover well following treatment.

Case 10 – 4th May 2022 Zebra

Spear

Kichwa Tembo, Masai Mara NR

The zebra was suffering from a spear head which was deeply embedded into the soft tissues of the neck adjacent to the jugular vein. The spear head had been there for a few days and was life threatening.

Immobilisation, examination and treatment The vet was transported from Nairobi to the Mara to treat the zebra. Once located the zebra was approached with a vehicle and darted with 7mg Etorphine and 70mg Azaperone. It was immobilised within 4 minutes.

The wound was deep and had pus as the spear was deeply embedded into soft tissues. The spear head was carefully removed and the wounds cleaned with copious amounts of water to remove mud, dirt and pus. The wound was thoroughly cauterized with dilute Hydrogen peroxide and tincture of Iodine. Oxytetracycline spray and cream as well as green clay was also applied to prevent further infection. The zebra was then injected with 30ml Oxytetracycline and 20ml Flunixine.

Prognosis Recovery from the anaesthesia was smooth and she ambulated well. The prognosis for his recovery is good. .

Case 11 – 4th May 2022 Warthog

Natural Causes

Kichwa Tembo, Masai Mara

A male injured juvenile male warthog was reported by Kichwa Tembo lodge personnel. The veterinary team was also attending to other cases within the region so immediately made a decision to treat the warthog.

Immobilisation, examination and treatment The warthog was immobilized with 3mgs Etorphine Hydrochloride and 2mg Azaperone. This juvenile male was darted from foot and was fully immobilised after 3 minutes. He fell on lateral recumbence. The warthog was blind folded and Opticlox applied to the eyes to avoid damage.

On physical examination the warthog had a swelling, septic injury on the left hind limb which could have been caused by an attack from a predator. The wounds were thoroughly cleaned and dead tissue removed using clean water, Hydrogen peroxide and normal saline. It was also lavaged using tincture of Iodine then topical Antibiotic cream and green clay were applied to facilitate healing and avoid infection. The warthog was administered with 10ml Betamox and 7ml Phenylbutazone at different sites intramuscularly.

Prognosis The prognosis is good.

Case 12 – 6th May 2022 Lion

Natural Causes

Ololaimutiek Village, Masai Mara

The lioness was aged 6-8 years old. The lions were spotted in Maasai Mara by the Mara County Rangers and game reserve personnel who reported that one of the lioness’ had an injury to the hind limb.

Examination The vet travelled to the area and carried out a visual observation before immobilising the lioness.

On examination, the leg already appeared to be healing. The swelling and lameness had immensely reduced.

This was a good sign of a road to recovery.

Prognosis The lioness was not immobilised as the wound was already healing so no intervention was required. The lioness has a good prognosis especially as she is in the company of her pride and in good body condition.

No pictures were available for this case

Case 13 – 10th May 2022 Elephant

Rescue

Arabuko Sokoke

The SWT received a report about a baby elephant in the remote region of the Arabuko Sokoke Forest in the North Coast area of Kenya, near Lamu.

Rescue This little baby bull was about six months old and was found wandering along a deserted road next to the forest. An attempt to find his mother and herd was made, but no herds were nearby and with the denseness of the forest it was an impossible task.

The SWT were alerted and quickly sent a helicopter from the Kaluku Airstrip to the location to collect the elephant. He had already been captured when the helicopter arrived, so was quickly secured and loaded onto the helicopter for the flight to Nairobi.

He was flown as quickly as possible to the Nairobi Nursery for care and milk as he was in poor condition and very stressed.

Case 14 – 17th May 2022 Zebra

Natural Causes

Izera Ranch, Taita

The zebra was observed to have difficulty walking by the Wildlife Works Rangers and an Aerial Patrol Team.

This zebra was very elusive hence difficult to be approached by truck or on foot hence the SWT helicopter was mobilized for aerial darting. The zebra was observed to be limping on the right hind limb, the tail tip had sloughed off. He was in good body condition and in the company of four mares and one foal.

Immobilisation, examination and treatment He was chemically restrained using a combination of 7mg Etorphine chloride and 80mg Azaperone delivered through a 3ml daninject dart.

Examination revealed a sprain on his right hind fetlock joint. He was given anti-inflammatories and reversed.

No other injury was seen.

Prognosis The anaesthetic was reversed with 24mg Diprenorphine hydrochloride delivered through the jugular vein.

He woke up two minutes post reversal and galloped towards the waiting zebra herd.

Prognosis is good.

No pictures available for this case.