SWT/KWS MERU MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT MAY 2021
Introduction
7 Cases in May
3 Rhino Cases
57% Success
May Report by Dr. Ndambiri Ephantus The Eastern Conservation Area is flourishing with rich vegetation after fairly good short rains. The bush is too thick for small animal spotting which is even not easy with aerial support. The animals are looking healthy because of the abundance of forage. We are optimistic that the vegetation so far generated will last till the next rainy season in October-November. The month under review was fairly busy with various interventions carried out. Two bongos were treated at Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy, one for an abscess and one for a cracked hoof. A zebra was treated after it evaded a lion attack, a post-mortem was conducted on a goat that died in a holding pen after they were confiscated when caught illegally grazing, one white rhino was treated and taken to the Sheldrick orphanage following a possible trampling incident, whilst another was treated for an injury resulting from a territorial fight. A third rhino was assessed but was not possible to treat due to risks of separation from its calf. Acknowledgement We thank the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT) for material support and Mobile Unit funding, KWS for logistical support and security, Big Life Foundation, and SWT Rangers for reporting and monitoring of distressed wild animals. The SWT Pilots and Craig from Big Life are thanked for their assistance in the aerial surveillance of the elephants after darting.
Case Details Date
Species
Area Found
13-May-21
Rhino White
Meru NP
Natural Causes
The left eye was protruding out and down. Injuries possibly caused by trampling
Taken to Orphanage
13-May-21
Goat
Meru NP
Postmortem
A herd of animals was grazing illegally in the park and put in the KWS care
Died
14-May-21
Bongo
Mount Kenya NR
Natural Causes
The bongo had developed an abscess that was causing pain
Successfully Treated
14-May-21
Bongo
Mount Kenya NR
Natural Causes
17-May-21
Zebra
Meru NP
Natural Causes
18-May-21
Rhino White
Meru NP
Natural Causes
She was hesitant to move but when she did, she had a very noticeable limp
Not Located
19-May-21
Rhino White
Lewa Conservancy
Natural Causes
The female was limping on the hind limb possibly due to a fight with a male
Successfully Treated
Reason for Intervention
The right hindlimb had a complete hoof crack that was exposing the blood vessels and was noticeably bleeding The zebra had been attacked by a lion in a hunting attempt resulting in an injury to the rump
Outcome
Successfully Treated Successfully Treated
SWT/KWS Meru Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations May 2021
Case 1 – 13th May 2021 White Rhino
Natural Causes
Meru National Park
The Rhino Patrol Team noted that the young calf, born on the 23rd of March 2021, was having difficulty getting up and moving. The calf had an unsteady gait when standing and attempting to walk and exhibited poor growth according to its age and expected growth rate pattern. Immobilisation, examination and treatment The mother was driven away from the calf, then the team secured the calf and loaded him onto the vehicle. He was transported to the Kinna Airfield, carefully offloaded, and placed on a mat in a shaded area for examination. There was a severe tick infestation all over the body, especially on the soft skin areas, around the anus, inguinal area, armpits, neck area, eye folds, nostrils and the buccal lips. In some areas, the ticks had caused wounds and pus-filled abscesses. The left eye was protruding outwards and downwards. The conjunctiva, iris and pupil were hidden underneath the lower eyelid which was attributed to possible damage or poor innervation of the muscles of the eye. The right hindlimb metatarsal joint was heavily inflamed and painful as was the scapular area. This could be attributed to the use of the forelimbs to support the calf’s weight especially when attempting to suckle (Overuse hypertrophy) or due to continuous recumbence. Prognosis The rhino was taken to the Sheldrick Orphanage but sadly the prognosis was poor as the injuries were severe.
Case 2 – 13th May 2021 Goat
Post-mortem
Meru National Park
A herd of animals was caught grazing illegally within the park. They were seized and put under KWS care as evidence for arraignment at the court. The team received a request to perform a post-mortem of one of the goats that had died.
Post-mortem Findings There was froth coming from the nostrils and the floor had a pool of fluid. The limbs were coated with mud and faeces. There were also ticks present on the body. Frothy discharge within the trachea corelated with the discharge seen in the nostrils. There was fluid build-up within the thoracic cavity (Pleural effusion) that was straw coloured. There was fibrin and gelatinous deposition on the parietal and visceral pleurae and the diaphragm wall. Both lungs were hard in consistency with areas of heavy interstitial bleeding and had adhered to the rib cage. There was a mass of creamy gelatinous white attachments to the left ribcage and the rest of the ribcage depicted different degrees of congestion. The heart had straw-colored fluid along with marked congestion of the coronary vessels. Prognosis Acute Contagious Caprine Pleuro-pneumonia (CCPP). This is a highly contagious disease caused by Mycoplasma mycoides capri. It damages the lung tissue causing it to harden and adhere to the chest wall interfering with the respiratory process.
Case 3 – 14th May 2021 Bongo
Natural Causes
Mount Kenya National Reserve
The Mountain bongo had a wound on her rump and the area was quite swollen. It was most likely an abscess that was causing pain, resulting in her walking with a slight limp and lying down frequently. Immobilisation, examination and treatment The bongo was immobilized with 5mg Etorphine and 40mg Azaperone. The animal was startled and ran off into the bushes where she was carefully pursued on foot until the drugs set in. She was then blindfolded, head held up and supplied with oxygen through nasal tubes. The left rump had an incision like wound that was contaminated and in the process of healing. The area was shaved and cleaned. Insertion of a needle revealed pus production, confirming that the swelling was an abscess. An incision was made to access the pus pocket then the pus was drained out and the pocket flushed with 6% Hydrogen Peroxide. Water was then poured into the wound to clean out the pus, dead tissue, and blood. The wound was then disinfected with Tincture of Iodine, packed with Opticlox (16.7% Cloxacillin) and sealed with healing clay. The area was then sprayed with Oxytetracycline (Alamycin). Other treatments included; intramuscular injections of 350mg of Enrofloxacin (Interflox 100), 10mg of Dexamethasone (Colvasone 0.2%) and 10ml of Multivitamin. Prognosis Fair. The treatment caused relief to the animal who will be closely observed to ensure no recurrence.
Case 4 – 14th May 2021 Bongo
Natural Causes
Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy
The keepers noted that the bongo had a limping gait when walking on the hindquarters. She was a very shy animal and tended to hide in the forest. She would not bear much weigh on the right hindlimb when walking.
Immobilisation, examination and treatment The bongo was immobilized with 5mg Etorphine and 40mg Azaperone. Once the drugs took affect, the bongo was blindfolded and supplied with oxygen. The right hindlimbs lateral hoof had a complete toe crack injury that was exposing the blood vessels and was noticeably bleeding. The toe was cleaned and trimmed to even out the weight distribution on the affected limb. The affected toe was then sprayed with Oxytetracycline (Alamycin) wound spray. Other treatments included, intramuscular injections of 500mg Enrofloxacin (Interflox 100), 10mg Dexamethasone (Colvasone 0.2%), 10ml of Multivitamin and a subcutaneous injection of 20mg of Ivermectin (Noromectin 1%). A pour on was also done of 20ml of Flumethrin (Bayticol 10mg/ml). Prognosis 3 minutes after anaesthetic reversal, she was up and walked into the bushes with an improvement in gait.
Case 5 – 17th May 2021 Zebra
Natural Causes
Meru National Park
The veterinary vehicle found an injured zebra with a large wound on the left rump, most likely due to a failed lion attack. The wound was large and needed treatment to avoid infection and reduce stress on the animal as ox peckers were picking at the wound. 333 Immobilisation, examination and treatment A 3cc Dan-inject dart was loaded with 5mg Etorphine mixed with 70mg Azaperone. The zebra was darted using a Dan-inject gun from the vehicle. The animal was startled and ran off but the team were able to trace where he had gone down. The wound edges were rough, there was a mass of hanging flesh and the tissue had turned black. The wound was cleaned with Hydrogen peroxide then disinfected with Iodine. The hanging tissues were then irrigated with Ivermectin to prevent the occurrence of myiasis caused by fly maggots. Green clay was applied generously to protect the wound from external factors and promote healing. The zebra was also given 4,500mg Amoxicillin, 30ml Catosal, 40mg Dexamethasone and a subcutaneous injection of 70mg Ivermectin. Prognosis Prognosis was fair as the wound was detected and treated accordingly.
The prognosis was fair since the wound w
Case 6 – 18th May 2021 White Rhino
Natural Causes
Meru National Park
A female rhino, with a male calf, was limping on the left forelimb. The Vet Unit arrived and noted found the rhinos under a tree and the adult female was carrying the left forelimb. She was hesitant to move even following prompts but when the calf moved she started following with a very noticeable limp. The team got close enough to analyze the limb further and a wound on the inner side of the limb was observed. Immobilisation, examination and treatment The terrain was good, but there was a concern of the river/marshy area that was close by which could be a threat post darting. Aerial support was requested to help push the mother to an open area and to keep the calf in sight during treatment. However, the calf started moving off towards the marshy area and the mother ran, leaving the calf behind. The team’s new mission was to ensure that the two were brought as close as possible to each other so as to keep the calf safe. Following the exertion, and considering the calf separation, it was decided to hold off the treatment to prevent complications due to drug physiology and ensure the pair aren’t separated. The Rangers were advised to monitor the mother and calf so treatment could be planned. Prognosis Fair for now and can be revised after one to two weeks review following constant monitoring. .
Case 7 – 19th May 2021 White Rhino
Natural Causes
Lewa Conservancy
The female was seen to be limping on the hindleg. The sub-adult was with her mother who had a younger calf when she sustained the injuries. It is possible she was fought by sub-adult males in the vicinity.
Immobilisation, examination and treatment The rhino was darted from a vehicle with 2.5mg Etorphine and 40mg Azaperone. The rhino was startled and ran a short distance to some plains where she stood calmly as the drugs took effect. Within 3 minutes the animal was fully immobilized and went down on left lateral recumbency. The team blindfolded the rhino and started oxygen to counter the effects of the opioid. 10mg Butorphanol was administered to help keep the rhino on a light but safe anaesthetic plane. There were wounds to her right hind limb just below the knee, the right flank and the right forelimb near the elbow. These wounds were superficial but there was a concerning wound on the left inguinal area, extending towards the teats, ending in a deep puncture wound. The wounds were relatively fresh, but contaminated. They were all cleaned with 6% Hydrogen Peroxide, then disinfected with Iodine. Finally, all wounds were packed with green clay and sprayed with Oxytetracycline to deter flies. The rhino was also given 20mg Dexamethasone, 10ml Catosal and 2,000mg Enrofloxacin. She was ear notched for identification then placed on sternal recumbence in preparation to release her. Prognosis Prognosis fair. She will be monitored to see if she re-joins her mother as staying on her own is not favourable.
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