Case 44 – 22nd January 2023

Lion Human Wildlife Conflict Mara North Conservancy

This lioness was seen late in the evening on the 21st at Musiara air strip. A through search commenced the following morning and finally the pride was sighted relaxing under a tree in the Mara North Conservancy.

Immobilisation, examination and treatment

She was darted with 300mgs Ketamine and 4mgs Medetomidine from a vehicle. The young males who followed her after darting had to be chased into the nearby bush to give space for treatment and they stayed about 100m away. She was completely sedated in ten minutes assuming sternal recumbence. She was then blindfolded, moved into the shade and placed on left lateral recumbence

The injury was a deep spear wound to the left forelimb. The longitudinal wound edges were shaved, cleaned with water and disinfected with Iodine then the edges were freshed to a point of bleeding. The muscles were sutured using chromic catgut with a simple continuous pattern. This was followed by suturing of the skin using nylon suture with a simple interrupted pattern. 15000mg of Amoxicillin was infiltrated into the sutured wound followed by Tetracycline wound spray. Systemically it was injected with 22500mgs Amoxicillin, 30mgs Dexamethasone and 40mgs Ivermectin.