SWT/KWS Mt Kenya Veterinary Unit Report for March 2025
SWT/KWS MT KENYA MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT
MARCH 2025
5 Cases in March 2025
March Report by Dr. Poghon J
HWC Case
Cases
During the month of March 2025, Mt Kenya Veterinary unit undertook only a few cases are they proceeded on off duty. Among the cases handled were treatment of a white rhino (Tauwo) with an eye ailment at Ol pejeta Conservancy, mounting of collars on problem lions at Mugie ranch, autopsy of an elephant carcass at Mathews range in Samburu County and another elephant carcass near Doldol in Laikipia county.
Acknowledgement
The Mt. Kenya Mobile Wildlife Veterinary Unit thanks the Kenya Wildlife Service for providing leadership and technical expertise. The veterinary team also appreciates The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT) for providing the financial and logistical support that enables the Unit to fulfil its mandate.
Case Details
4-Mar-25 Elephant Dol Dol Group Ranch Postmortem The elephant was discovered dead on 3rd of March Died
6-Mar-25 Elephant Matthews Range Human Wildlife Conflict The elephant was reported to have died from a suspected case of human wildlife conflict HWC Death
7-Mar-25 Rhino White Ol Pejeta Conservancy Natural Causes Tauwo, had been reported to be tearing excessively on the right eye Successfully Treated
9-Mar-25 Lion Mugie Conservancy Collared
10-Mar-25 Lion Mugie Conservancy Collared
The problem lions are chronic livestock raiders. They were previously collared, but the collars failed Task Successful
The problem lions are chronic livestock raiders. They were previously collared, but the collars failed Task Successful
March 2025
Case 1 – 3rd March 2025
Elephant
Postmortem Doldol Group Ranch
The elephant was discovered dead on 3rd of March 2025 and reported to Mt Kenya Vet unit to undertake autopsy. The trophies were removed and submitted to the safe custody of the security at Nanyuki Station by KWS Doldol station.
Postmortem examination
• The carcass was lying on its right side, lateral recumbency
• The carcass was estimated around 72-96 hours old (3-4 days)
• The abdomen was sunken, indicating significant decomposition and autolysis
• The belly of the carcass was partly opened by the action of scavengers
• Some of the abdominal organs were eviscerated, lying next to the carcass
• On opening the abdominal cavity, the organs were found to be autolyzed and decomposed
Cause of death
The degree of decomposition and scavenging activity was so significant tampering with the carcass making it difficult to determine the immediate cause of death of the elephant.
Case
Elephant
Human-Wildlife Conflict
Mathews Range, Samburu
The elephant was reported to have died from a suspected case of human wildlife conflict at Kirimo Community, Samburu County.
Postmortem examination
The carcass was estimated to be about 3 days old and was lying on its left side.
The trunk and perineal area had bite marks from scavengers. There was a penetrating wound on the back near the vertebral midline with bloody exudate oozing out. The wound was elliptical, 4cm deep representative of a spear wound. The wound was opened, and it went through the skin, subcutis, muscles and entered into the thoracic cavity. There was massive bleeding in the peritoneal cavity.
On further examination where the skin, subcutis and intercostal muscles were exposed, it was found that the puncture wound extended deep through the intercostal muscles into the right apical lung.
Cause of death
The findings indicated a puncture wound by a sharp-edged object thought to be spear through the right thorax into the right lung causing the death of the elephant..
Case 3 – 7th March 2025
White rhino Natura Causes
Ol Pejeta Conservancy
A southern white rhino had been reported with an eye lesion. The rhino is the female southern white, companion to the remaining two northern white rhinos at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy Morani boma.
Immobilisation, examination and treatment
The first dart, which hit the thick skin on the right side of the neck, did not manage to fully immobilize the rhino. A second dart, containing 2mg Etorphine hit the left upper rump but did not penetrate deep enough into the muscle tissue discharging the drug on the skin surface. The rhino went down after taking a higher than usual amount of immobilizing drug. Oxygen supplementation was then started.
The right eye was found with clear ocular discharge. The conjunctiva was highly vascularized because of inflammation, giving the mucous membranes a red appearance. The right eye was tested with drops of fluorescein stain; some areas of ulceration on the cornea took up the stain. This was confirmatory for a corneal ulcer and conjunctivitis. The affected eye was managed with topical ointment, and systemic treatment of Amoxicillin, 600 mg sub-conjunctively, and 150 mg to irrigate the eye, 5g Opticlox ointment, topically on both eyes, 15,000mg Amoxicillin and 10,000mg Phenylbutazone
Prognosis
The treatment procedure was successful, Close monitoring and observation is recommended. .
Lion Collared
Mugie Conservancy
The problem lions are chronic livestock raiders and have killed many livestock in the ranch and the surrounding community. They were previously collared, but the collars failed.
Collaring
The lionesses were attracted by playing callback sounds of wildlife in distress. They were each spotted after a long wait and darted from a vehicle using a Dan-inject rifle They went down after approximately 7 minutes. They were then blind folded and placed in lateral position.
The lionesses were safely monitored, samples collected, and collared.
