SWT/KWS MASAI MARA MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT AUGUST 2019
Introduction
9 Cases in August
4 Poaching Cases
7 Elephant Cases
August Report by Dr. Campaign Limo The month was characterised by decreased precipitation and an influx of wildebeests crossing into Mara from the Serengeti in Tanzania. There is plenty of prey for the carnivores as a result of high number of migrating wildebeests and zebras. Due to good rains experienced earlier in the year, there is plenty of fodder for the grazers and browsers to utilize. Water that had collected at several points from the rains is still available for the animals to use. Cases of spearing were noted with a big elephant bull succumbing to injuries sustained from a spear that was completely embedded right into its abdomen. A female giraffe was lucky to be saved in time from a spear lodged in one of her hindquarters. Acknowledgement The Mara Mobile Veterinary Unit would like to thank all the stakeholders for their continuous vigilance and reporting of wildlife in need of help. Thanks to Minara Foundation through SWT for their continuous support and facilitation of the unit. Many thanks to KWS management for their technical assistance.
Case Details Date
Species
Area Found
13-Aug-19
Lion
Naboisho Conservancy
17-Aug-19
Elephant
Olkinyei Conservancy
18-Aug-19
Elephant
20-Aug-19
Elephant
20-Aug-19
Elephant
Masai Mara NR
22-Aug-19
Elephant
22-Aug-19
Reason for Intervention
Outcome
A female lion received bite injuries from a male lion during a fight
Successfully Treated
Arrow head was deeply embedded into his foot A limping elephant was assessed but did Siana Natural not require treatment as it was an inborn Conservancy Causes problem Collaring exercise to enhance monitoring Masai Mara Collared NR of elephants outside protected areas
Successfully Treated
Spear
Infected spear wound to the food caused by a spear
Successfully Treated
Mara Triange
Spear
Post-mortem revealed a completely embedded 2m long spear in the back
Poaching Death
Giraffe
Masai Mara NR
Spear
Spear wound lodged in the right thigh
Successfully Treated
26-Aug-19
Pangolin
Nakuru National Park
Rescue
27-Aug-19
Elephant
Siana Conservancy
Spear
Natural Causes Arrow
Pangolin was rescued from young boys near Nakuru National Park and released in the Masai Mara National Reserve A deep septic wound to the lateral side of the right elbow
Task Successful Successfully Treated
Task Successful Successfully Treated
SWT/KWS Masai Mara Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations August 2019
.
Case 1 – 13th August 2019 Lion
Natural Causes
Naboisho Conservancy
This old female was reported to have been injured after being involved in a fight with a male lion. She received bite injuries on several parts of her body. She spent most of the day lying down which concerned the Conservancy Management who called the Mobile Veterinary Unit. The Vet Unit found the lioness lying in the shade with her sister close by. A big male, thought to have been the aggressor, was seen a few meters away. She appeared to be in pain with obvious fight injuries. Immobilisation, examination and treatment The lioness was darted from a vehicle and became fully anaesthetized after ten minutes. Examination revealed fresh bite wounds with a deep one on her neck which required stitching after proper disinfection with Iodine. Cloxacillin antibiotic ointment was then applied into the wound. The other wounds were also disinfected with Iodine and Oxytetracycline antibiotic wound spray applied topically. Other treatments include parenteral administration of Amoxicillin antibiotics and Ivermectin parasiticide. Prognosis Prognosis is good. It was reported that she made a kill the next day with her sister and was joined by the aggressor male who eventually mated with her as she is reported to have come on oestrous.
Case 2 – 17th August 2019 Elephant
Arrow
Olkinyei Conservancy
This big bull was seen limping on his right front leg by the Conservancy Rangers. They notified the Conservancy Management who in turn sought the attention of the Mobile Veterinary Unit for help. The Vet Team found this bull in a relatively open area after having a mud bath. He was browsing with an equally big bull. His right front leg had an injury located medio ventral to his carpus making movement difficult.
Immobilisation, examination and treatment Immobilization was achieved with 16mgs Etorphine hydrochloride delivered remotely through a 3ml daninject dart from a vehicle. It took eight minutes for the drugs to take full effect with this bull assuming left lateral recumbency. After making sure he was stable, examination was conducted which revealed a less than one-week old septic wound. Probing the wound revealed an embedded barbed arrowhead which was retrieved. Luckily it was not a poisoned. Another old septic wound was also found on his back. The wounds were debrided with Hydrogen peroxide and wiped clean with gauze swabs. Tincture of iodine was applied for disinfection then green clay was packed into the wound to absorb toxins and stop further sepsis. Other treatments included parenteral administration of Amoxicillin antibiotics and Flunixin meglumine antiinflammatories. Prognosis The anaesthetic was reversed with 48mgs Diprenorphine hydrochloride intravenously through a prominent ear vein. He rose up two minutes after reversal to join his colleague. Prognosis is good.
Case 3 – 18th August 2019 Elephant
Natural Causes
Siana Conservancy
This elephant was reported to be limping while on motion by the conservancy management. They requested the services of the Mobile Veterinary Unit to treat the animal. Remote Examination This big female was found happily browsing with other family members. Her right hind leg appeared shorter than the left one, making her move with a gait. No injury was seen anywhere and it was thought that this was an inborn problem but could not affect the general wellbeing of this elephant. She had a healthy calf and she moved with the same pace with the rest of the family members. Prognosis The Conservancy Management was assured that the elephant could live well with this challenge and there was no need of intervention.
Case 4 – 20th August 2019 Elephant
Collaring
Nyakweri Forest, Masai Mara
In order to enhance monitoring of elephants especially outside protected areas, KWS with Mara Elephant Project, which is a partner in conservation decided to deploy tracking collars to a few elephants within Mara Conservation area. This helps in tracking families of elephants especially those known to crop raid or stray into settlement areas. Information from their telemetric devices helps to guide management on deployment of rangers to avert potential human-elephant conflicts. In addition, their movements help inform on migratory corridors and elephant ranges to better conservation management decisions. Nyakweri forest in the North Western part of Mara was a big block forest utilized by elephants but currently under threat from inhabitation. Apart from tracking and monitoring to avoid potential conflicts, a collar deployed to an elephant in this area also helps to inform the effects of encroachment on the movement of elephants and their likely destinations in case they abandon the habitat. One such elephant was collared in this forest to help management in making critical decisions. Immobilisation and collaring This young bull was found deep in the forest with a big mixed herd. It was darted from foot due to challenges in terrain. A 1.5 ml dan-inject dart containing 15mgs Etorphine hydrochloride was used for darting with this elephant moving a distance of over 500meters in 8 minutes within the forest before being overwhelmed by the anaesthetics. Quick and careful examination revealed an elephant in good body condition and health for collar deployment. Soundness of the deployed device was confirmed before the elephant was revived with 42mgs Diprenorphine hydrochloride given intravenously through a prominent ear vein. He woke up two minutes post reversal to follow the bigger herd.
Case 5 – 20th August 2019 Elephant
Spear
Masai Mara National Reserve
This young bull was seen by the Mara Reserve rangers on their regular patrol limping with an injury to his front right leg. They informed the mobile veterinary unit who responded to help.
Immobilisation, examination and treatment Restraint was achieved chemically with 13mgs Etorphine hydrochloride delivered through a 1.5ml dan-inject dart from a vehicle. It took seven minutes for the drugs to take full effect with this elephant assuming left lateral recumbency. Examination revealed an infected wound located caudally on his carpus caused by a spear. The wound was debrided with Hydrogen peroxide. After all necrotic tissues were removed, clean water was used to rinse the wound. Tincture of iodine was used for disinfection and Oxytetracycline wound spray applied before green clay was packed into the wound to stop toxins and further sepsis. Other treatments included parenteral administration of Amoxicillin antibiotics and Flunixin meglumine antiinflammatories. Prognosis Reversal was achieved with intravenous administration of 42mgs Diprenorphine hydrochloride through a prominent ear vein. He rose up three minutes after reversal and returned to the bush with a good prognosis.
Case 6 – 22nd August 2019 Elephant
Spear
Mara Triangle
This bull was found dead on the 22nd August by the Mara Triangle Rangers. They reported not seeing this bull with an injury or showing any signs of sickness before they found it dead. They requested the services of the Mobile Veterinary Unit to ascertain cause of its death. Examination This huge bull was found dead in an open area with a small portion of the ventral abdomen torn by scavengers with the rest of the body intact. Moderate bloating was evident. The carcass was lying on its right lateral side and estimated to be less than 12 hours old. Closer examination revealed an old but shallow spear wound on the left side of its thorax and a small penetrating wound on the left side slightly off his lumbar spine. The other side of the body showed no injury. The carcass was opened focusing on the penetrating wound. This revealed a completely embedded 2metre long metallic spear which had punctured the left kidney, perforated the large intestines and stomach and damaged the liver before lodging at the sternum. The spear had been buried deep and could not be seen externally. Cause of Death This elephant died a painful death from multiple traumatic organ damage and peritoneal contamination.
Case 7 – 22nd August 2019 Giraffe
Spear
Masai Mara
This giraffe was seen with a spear lodged in her right thigh by nearby Mara Triangle rangers. They requested the Mobile Veterinary Unit to help. She was found standing near a dam in obvious pain. Her left ankle also had a healing abrasion wound. A decision was arrived at to immediately immobilize and help her. Immobilisation, examination and treatment Restraint was achieved by use of a combination of 12mgs Etorphine hydrochloride and 50mgs Azaperone. The giraffe was then darted from a vehicle and became narcotized after 8minutes. Effective restraint was achieved by roping her down with the terrain posing challenges. She was reversed immediately before commencement of treatment but held to the ground making sure she did not get a chance to raise her head. This was to avoid anaesthetic complications due to the giraffe’s anatomy. Examination revealed an approximately 1m metal spear lodged in her right thigh that was estimated to have been there for the last 12 hours. It was gently pulled out leaving a penetrating wound approximately 1ft deep. The wound was debrided with Hydrogen peroxide, rinsed with clean water, then tincture of Iodine, Cloxacillin antibiotic ointment and Oxytetracycline ointment were applied. The healing abrasion wound on her left hock was treated with tincture of iodine and Oxytetracycline spray. Other treatments given included intramuscular administration of Amoxicillin antibiotic and Flunixin meglumine anti-inflammatory. Prognosis She raised her head upon release but could not stand up due to the challenges of terrain. She was assisted to stand up with ropes and finally she got up and galloped to the rest of the herd.
Case 8 – 26th August 2019 Pangolin
Rescue
Lake Nakuru/Masai Mara
Pangolins are extremely rare and endangered mammals known to have tough scales covering their bodies. Their means of defense is coiling when threatened with the scales protecting them from any harm. This female was rescued near Lake Nakuru National Park from young boys who were toying around with her. She was stressed and dehydrated. It was relocated to the Masai Mara for examination and brief management by the Mobile Veterinary Unit before release to a good habitat within the conservation area.
Examination This pangolin was received at Mara Research Station and a comprehensive clinical examination was conducted. She appeared dehydrated and had an abrasion of her eyelids. She also had watery nasal discharge with satisfactory body condition. She was immediately rehydrated by subcutaneous administration of 10ml of normal saline and 10ml 5% diluted Dextrose, given alternately. She also received 300mgs Clindamycin antibiotics intramuscularly. The same treatment was repeated 24hours later. Meanwhile she was being taken out to ant hills at night where she was able to feed on termites and other ants for 4 hours before being placed in a padded box and put in a secure room. At the end of the third day she appeared stable and ready for release after samples were collected from her. She was released to a suitable site within Mara Reserve in good condition.
Case 9 – 27th August 2019 Elephant
Spear
Siana Conservancy
This elephant was seen with injuries and isolated from the rest of the herd by Conservancy Rangers. They called the Mobile Veterinary Unit for assistance. This female was traced to a thicket alone and was in a lot of pain. She had an injury to her right front leg at the elbow and perforating wound on her trunk. Immobilisation, examination and treatment Restraint was achieved chemically by use of 15mgs Etorphine hydrochloride delivered remotely through a 1.5ml dan-inject dart. The elephant was darted from foot due to the terrain. It took ten minutes for the drugs to take full effect and she assumed left lateral recumbency. Examination revealed a deep and septic spear wound on the lateral side of her right elbow. There was also a penetrating wound on her trunk caused by spearing. This elephant could have been an unfortunate victim of human elephant conflict or a poaching attempt, possibly a week before intervention. The wounds were effectively debrided with Hydrogen peroxide and rinsed with clean water. Tincture of iodine was used for disinfection and green clay to prevent further sepsis. Oxytetracycline antibiotic spray was applied topically. Other treatments given were Amoxicillin antibiotic and Flunixin meglumine anti-inflammatories. Prognosis She stood up four minutes post-reversal and retreated deeper into the thicket. The rangers were advised to monitor and report progress for possible repeat of treatment.