SWT/KWS Meru Mobile Veterinary Unit - September 2019

SWT/KWS MERU MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT SEPTEMBER 2019

Introduction

8 Cases in September

3 Poaching Cases

2 Elephant Cases

September Report by Dr. Bernard Rono This report describes the activities of the Meru Veterinary Unit in September 2019. The drought continued through September in Northern Kenya with serious effects on wildlife, particularly grazers. In Meru National Park an investigation into buffalo mortality revealed malnutrition as the cause of death. However, other wildlife species in the Park were less affected. During this month we also immobilized a lion to remove a snare and another lion had a collar removed because it had malfunctioned. Post-mortem examinations were carried out on two black rhinos which succumbed to injuries sustained from predation in Meru and Aberdare National Park while a white rhino calf in Borana Conservancy died after it was trampled by its mother. Two elephants were also anesthetized to treat gunshot injuries.

Acknowledgement This veterinary unit is supported by Sheldrick Wildlife Trust which provides financial and logistical support. We also acknowledge support of KWS management and rangers in the field who monitor wildlife and report cases for treatment.

Case Details Date

Species

Area Found

10-Sep-19

Elephant

Enasoit Ranch

10-Sep-19

Rhino White

Borana Ranch

12-Sep-19

Lion

12-Sep-19

Rhino Black

26-Sep-19

Elephant

26-Sep-19

Lion

27-Sep-19

Rhino Black

30-Sep-19

Buffalo

Meru National Park Abedare National Park Meru National Park Meru National Park Meru National Park Meru National Park

Reason for Intervention

Outcome

Bullet Wound

Examination showed a wound penetrating suspected to have been inflicted by a bullet

Prognosis Poor

Post-mortem

The calf was found to be in good body condition, no external injuries were found

Died

Snared

Had a tight snare around its left hind leg which had cut through the skin

Successfully Treated

Post-mortem

There were signs of a struggle and appears the rhino was pursued by predators

Died

Bullet Wound

The entry wounds were 1cm diameter suggesting a high velocity projectile was used

Successfully Treated

Technical Cases

To remove a collar that had malfunctioned

Task Successful

Natural Causes

Lacerations on both hind legs suspected to have been caused by a predator

Died

Research/ Survey

A buffalo herd health assessment was carried out to determine cause of death of many carcasses and advice management

Task Successful

SWT/KWS Meru Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations September 2019

Case 1 – 10th September 2019 Elephant

Bullet Wound

Enasoit Ranch, Laikipia

A young elephant bull in Enasoit Ranch showed severe lameness and swelling of its left front leg and was unable to keep up with the rest of the herd. The Vet Unit were called and immobilized the elephant to determine the cause of injury and treat it.

Immobilisation, examination and treatment The elephant was found on open ground and immobilised from a vehicle with 9mg of Etorphine 8mg. The elephant fell into its left side after 5 minutes and was flipped to the right side for examination and treatment.

Examination showed a wound penetrating into the left carpal joint suspected to have been inflicted by a bullet. Wounds were treated with Hydrogen peroxide to remove necrotic tissue, then Iodine was infused into the wounds. Systemic antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs were administered Reversal and Prognosis Reversal of the anaesthesia was achieved by intravenous injection of 30mg Diprenophine and the elephant was assisted to a standing position 5 minutes later.

Prognosis for this case is guarded due to joint involvement. We advised the ranch management to monitor this animal and report on its progress.

Case 2 – 10th September 2019 White Rhino

Post-mortem

Borana Conservancy

Rangers on patrol at Borana ranch found a one-week old white rhino calf lying down unresponsive next to its mother. A complete postmortem was carried out to determine the cause of death.

General Examination The calf was found to be in good body condition, no external injuries were found on examination of the carcass.

On opening the carcass, we found that the calf had recently suckled, and its stomach was full. All other organs appeared normal.

Manipulation of the vertebral column revealed crepitus and a dislocation at the atlanto-axial joint.

Cause of death Injury of the vertebral column in this calf is consistent with trampling by its first-time mother.

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Case 3 – 12th September 2019 Lion

Snared

Meru National Park

This lion which was dragging a long snare on its left hind leg was reported by a Bornfree Foundation Team while on routine lion monitoring patrols within Meru National Park.

Immobilisation, examination and treatment A call back system was employed late in the evening because the lion was in a thicket. The lion was darted using a combination of Ketamine and Medetomidine and it went down in three minutes.

The lion had a tight snare around its left hind leg which had cut through the skin. The snare was loosened and removed. Morphometric measurements were recorded, and an ear tissue sample was collected for genetic analysis.

Prognosis The anaesthesia was reversed 1.5 hours later.

No serious injury was observed hence the lion was expected to recover completely.

Case 4 – 12th September 2019 Black Rhino

Post-mortem

Abedares National Park

A carcass of a black rhino calf in the Aberdares National Park was reported by rangers on routine patrol.

They requested for a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death and collect forensic samples for analysis.

General Examination The carcass was found near a water hole with both horns intact. There were signs of a struggle and it looked as though the rhino was pursued by predators. Hyena spoor was also found at the scene.

All the internal organs and parts of the skeletal muscles of the limbs were scavenged.

Cause of death Although no significant post-mortem findings were observed, presence of both horns suggest the black rhino calf may have died from injuries sustained in a predatory attack by hyenas.

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Case 5 – 26th September 2019 Elephant

Bullet Wound

Meru National Park

A tour guide from a lodge in Meru National Park found this elephant which showed lameness on its left hind leg and had pus exuding from a wound. The Vet Unit were called and immobilized this elephant immediately to determine the cause of injuries and treat the wounds.

Immobilisation, examination and treatment The elephant was herded onto open ground and darted from a vehicle with 18mg Etorphine. The elephant went down in 13 minutes but fell onto sternal recumbence and had to be pushed onto its side.

Examination showed an infected wound dorsal to the stifle joint penetrating more than 30cm into the muscle. A similar wound was observed dorsal to the elbow joint. The entry wounds were 1cm diameter suggesting a high velocity projectile was used. This elephant is suspected to be a victim of human-elephant conflict with injuries inflicted by a firearm. The wounds were treated with Hydrogen peroxide to remove necrotic tissue and Iodine to disinfect. Systemic antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs were also administered.

Reversal and Prognosis The elephant was on its feet 3 minutes after the anaesthetic was reversed. The elephant will continued to be monitored but it should make a full recovery.

Case 6 – 26th September 2019 Lion

Technical Case

Meru National Park

On the 26th September the Vet Unit immobilized a lion in Meru National Park to remove a collar that had malfunctioned. The collar was fitted three years ago to monitor pride movement, range and interaction in the park.

Immobilisation, examination and treatment Immobilization was achieved using a combination of 200mg Ketamine delivered in a Dan-Inject dart.

The lion went down in 9 minutes and was placed on lateral recumbence. A blindfold was applied to minimize visual stimulation.

The collar was removed carefully and comparative morphometric measurements were recorded.

The anaesthesia was reversed after 45 minutes and the lion soon joined the rest of the pride.

Case 7 – 27th September 2019 Black Rhino

Natural Cases

Meru National Park

The rhino monitoring team in Meru NP sanctuary reported a black rhino calf that had lacerations on both hind legs and a foul odour. The calf was last seen in good body condition with its mother on the 8th September. On the 13th September 2019 the mother (Raha) was seen with a new born calf.

Immobilisation, examination and treatment This rhino was darted from a helicopter due to difficult terrain in that area. The first dart failed, but after a second dart the rhino fell onto sternal recumbency eight minutes later.

A quick examination revealed the anesthetized rhino was unstable with two shallow breaths per minute and superficial veins had collapsed indicating both the cardiac and respiratory systems were compromised.

The anaesthesia was reversed immediately using Naltrexone and Diprenophine into the ventral aspect of the tongue. The rhino was positioned on lateral recumbence and resuscitated with chest compressions and doused with copious amount of water. Five minutes later it was encouraged to a standing position although it did not move far.

Observations showed this rhino suffered from severe dehydration. There were deep bite wounds around the udder and claw mark lacerations on the hind quarters. The wounds were putrid with copious amounts of pus and were consistent with a predatory attack by lions. Topical and systemic antibiotics were also administered. Close monitoring of the rhino was recommended, however it was reported the rhino’s health had deteriorated and it died later that day.

A post-mortem revealed the organs in the thoracic cavity were normal. The 2 year old black rhino calf was recently separated from its mother and was vulnerable to attack by lions.

Cause of Death Bite marks on the udder perforated the abdominal wall causing peritonitis and adhesions in abdominal organs. The cause of death was septicaemia secondary to peritonitis.

Case 8 – 30th September 2019 Buffalo

Research/Survey

Meru National Park

From mid-August 2019, Meru National Park has experienced increasing mortality of buffalo. A buffalo herd health assessment was carried out to determine the cause of death and advise management on mitigation measures. The assessment was carried out through field observation, clinical and post-mortem examination, sample collection and laboratory analysis for disease. Data on buffalo and carcass distribution, forage and water availability was obtained and analyzed.

The park has an estimated buffalo population ranging from 2,700 to 3,900 individuals (density 4.6 per km2) according to 2016/17 road counts. These were mainly found on the north western part of the park. Kenya’s rainy seasons are in April/May and November/December/January. This year the park recorded less than average rainfall during the April/ May season compared to the previous years.

Examination Forty seven buffalo carcasses have been recorded, with carcass ages varying from 2 days to 1 month old.

Old animals, juveniles and lactating females are mainly affected.

The carcasses were mainly found in Kinna triangle, Kambi baridi, Mulika plains, Bwatherongi swamp and Mururi swamp (extended rhino sanctuary). At present, buffalo are on a low nutritional plane due to prevailing drought. Weak malnourished animals are vulnerable to predation while others get stuck in receding swamps where they find lush vegetation and water. In Murera and Mururi swamp lactating mothers have abandoned weak calves which are unable to keep up with the rest of the herd. Rainfall data in Kinna, Murera and Kanjoo KWS weather stations for 2017 - 2019 was obtained and analyzed. Due to low rainfall in March to May 2019, pasture has been depleted hence inadequate forage for large and medium sized herbivores. Two abandoned buffalo calves, a lactating female and bull were examined to detect signs of disease. The bull was chemically restrained while the female and calves were restrained physically.

Signs observed included emaciation, heavy tick infestation and anaemia in the calves. Piroplasms observed in blood smears were considered a non significant finding. Whole blood and serum samples were stored in liquid nitrogen for further analysis.

Impression smears obtained from two fresh carcasses were negative for anthrax. Carcasses showed heavy tick infestation and pale mucosa of conjunctiva.

Conclusion The disease investigation revealed that the main cause of death was malnutrition due to drought. No infectious disease was diagnosed in the sick or dead animals. However, the buffalo examined had a high ectoparasite load attributed to poor body condition. Buffalo are grazers with a daily requirement for water.

Hence rainfall variability, forage availability and quality correlate strongly to buffalo population health.

Opportunistic infections due to suppressed immunity may play a role in buffalo mortality during prevailing drought.

The Vet Unit will continue to conduct active surveillance and buffalo health monitoring to provide weekly updates on the drought situation in Meru NP. Rains are expected in Mid October to November. In the event that the drought situation worsens, targeted nutritional supplementation with good quality hay high in energy content such as Rhodes or lucerne may be considered. However, this should be weighed against the natural role that drought plays in regulating buffalo population Disease preventive measures such as proper carcass disposal will be instituted if an infectious agent is confirmed. This will require resources such as excavators and man power