SWT/KWS Veterinary Units Quarterly Report April - June 2019

SWT/KWS MOBILE VETERINARY UNITS TSAVO – MARA – MERU - AMBOSELI – MT KENYA April – June 2019 Report

Introduction

102 Cases

36 Poaching Cases

50 Elephant Cases

19 Predator Cases

11 HWC Cases

64% Success

April – June 2019 Year Report for Tsavo, Mara, Meru Amboseli and Mt Kenya Units During the April – June 2019, 3-month reporting period, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT) in partnership with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and their five dedicated field veterinary officers, attended to 102 wildlife cases involving 136 animals of various species. The cases attended to have been widespread across Kenya, from the southernly boundaries of the Tsavo Ecosystem, to the Masai Mara in the West and up to the Northernly Namunyak Conservancy in Samburu.

Of the 102 cases attended to, 50 cases included elephants; 28 of these elephant cases were directly related to poaching activities, including 8 poisoned arrows, 10 spear cases, 5 bullet wound cases, 3 snaring cases and 2 post-mortems which revealed the death to be a poaching incident but the direct method could not be determined. Sadly, bullet wound cases are usually fatal, but one elephant was given a good prognosis and two a guarded prognosis. Amongst the spear cases, 3 involved spears lodged in the heads of elephants; thankfully the spears were all removed and all three were given a good prognosis. There was only 1 humanelephant conflict case involving an elephant that had become entangled in discarded SGR fencing wire that was successfully removed.

Non-elephant cases attended to involved 8 poaching incidents; 1 spear case and 7 snaring cases, as well as 10 human-wildlife conflict cases; 1 arrow case, 2 relocations due to livestock predation, 1 poisoning, 3 spear cases, 1 relocation case and 1 case involving a giraffe that became entangled in a fence. Of the snaring cases, all the animals found still alive were successfully treated and given a good prognosis

Case Details Elephant

Predators

Plains Game

Giraffe

Rhino

Grand Total

Poaching

28

1

4

2

1

36

HWC

1

7

2

1

Natural Causes

10

9

5

5

7

36

Post-mortem

6

1

1

1

9

Rescue

5

5

Technical Cases

2

Research/Survey

1

Collared Grand Total

11

1

1

1 50

19

3

1 14

9

10

102

102 Cases Attended to by SWT/KWS Vet Units 1st April - 31st June 2019 40

35

30

25 Rhino Giraffe

20

Plains Game Predators

15

Elephant 10

5

0 Poaching

Human Wildlife Conflict

Collared

Natural Causes

Postmortem

Rescue

Research/ Survey

Technical Cases

Poaching and HWC Cases Attended to by SWT/KWS Vet Units 1st April - 31st June 2019 12

10

8

6 Rhino Giraffe

4

Plains Game Predators

2

Elephant

Poaching

Human Wildlife Conflict

Spear

Relocation

Poison

Livestock Predation

Fencing

Arrow

Spear

Snared

Poaching Postmortem

Bullet Wound

Arrow

0

Outcomes of Cases Attended to by SWT/KWS All Vet Units 1st April - 31st June 2019

Poaching Death 6%

HWC Death 2%

Died 14% Successful Cases 64% Not Located 3%

Prognosis Poor 8%

Taken to Orphanage 3%

Mt Kenya

Outcomes of Cases Attended to by SWT/KWS All Vet Units 1st April - 31st June 2019

14

6

Mara

Amboseli

Meru

13

1

3

Tsavo

1

2

3

1

2

3

15

1

18

Successful Cases

4

Prognosis Poor

1

1

4

2

Taken to Orphanage

Poaching Death

1

3

HWC Death

1

Died

2

Not Located

SWT/KWS Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations Tsavo – Mara – Meru – Amboseli – Mt Kenya April - June 2019

SWT/KWS TSAVO MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OVERVIEW April – June 2019

27 Cases

16 Poaching Cases

15 Elephant Cases

The Tsavo Mobile Vet Unit attended to 27 cases, involving 16 elephants, 6 predators and 5 plains game. Of the 27 cases, 16 were directly related to poaching and 4 to human-wildlife conflict, as well as 4 for natural causes and an elephant rescue. The Unit also carried out an extensive operation vaccinating 11 rhinos against anthrax in Lake Nakuru National Park with the help of SWT helicopter following an outbreak in buffalos.

27 Cases Attended to by SWT/KWS Tsavo Vet Unit 1st April - 31st June 2019 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Arrow

Snared

Spear

Bullet Wound Elephant

Poaching Postmortem Predators

Human Wildlife Conflict Plains Game

Natural Causes Rhino

Postmortem

Rescue

Technical Cases

Outcomes of Cases Attended to by SWT/KWS Tsavo Vet Unit 1st April - 31st June 2019

Poaching Death 11% Successful Cases 67%

HWC Death 4% Died 7%

Prognosis Poor 7%

Taken to Orphanage 4%

SWT/KWS Tsavo Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations April - June 2019

APRIL 2019

To see the full report for Tsavo Vet Unit for the month of April 2019 click here MAY 2019

To see the full report for Tsavo Vet Unit for the month of May 2019 click here JUNE 2019

To see the full report for Tsavo Vet Unit for the month of June 2019 click here

SWT/KWS MARA MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OVERVIEW April – June 2019

22 Cases

5 Poaching Cases

9 Elephant Cases

The Mara Mobile Vet Unit attended to 22 cases, involving 9 elephants, 7 predators, 4 giraffes, 1 white rhino with brain/nerve disorder and 1 zebra that was arrowed in community lands due to conflict. Of the 22 cases, 5 were directly related to poaching; 3 arrow wounds, 4 snares, 2 spear wounds, and 4 to human-wildlife conflict. Two of the human-wildlife conflict cases were lions that had been speared, mostly likely by herdsmen. Both lions were successfully treated and given a good prognosis.

22 Cases Attended to by SWT/KWS Mara Vet Unit 1st April - 31st June 2019 9 8 7 6 Rhino

5

Giraffe Plains Game

4

Predators 3

Elephant

2 1 0 Arrow

Spear

Human Wildlife Natural Causes Conflict

Postmortem

Rescue

Collared

Outcomes of Cases Attended to by SWT/KWS Mara Vet Unit 1st April - 31st June 2019 HWC Death 5%

Poaching Death 5%

Died 18%

Successful Cases 68%

Taken to Orphanage 4%

SWT/KWS Mara Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations April – June 2019

APRIL 2019

To see the full report for Mara Vet Unit for the month of April 2019 click here MAY 2019

To see the full report for Mara Vet Unit for the month of May 2019 click here JUNE 2019

To see the full report for Mara Vet Unit for the month of June 2019 click here

SWT/KWS MERU MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OVERVIEW April – June 2019

19 Cases

8 Poaching Cases

10 Elephant Cases

The Meru Mobile Vet Unit attended to 19 cases, involving 10 elephants, 2 predators, 1 giraffe and 1 rhino.

Of the 19 cases, 8 were directly related to poaching, including a rhino with a snare around the foot that was treated successfully, 2 elephants with bullet wounds, 4 elephants with spear wounds and a giraffe with a snare. Only the elephant with a bullet wound was given a poor prognosis, whilst the rest were treated successfully and should recover fully, including two elephants with spears deeply embedded in their heads.

19 Cases Attended to by SWT/KWS Meru Vet Unit 1st April - 31st June 2019 9 8 7 6 Rhino

5

Giraffe Plains Game

4

Predators 3

Elephant

2 1 0 Spear

Snared

Bullet Wound

Human Wildlife Conflict

Natural Causes

Postmortem

Outcomes of Cases Attended to by SWT/KWS Meru Vet Unit 1st April - 31st June 2019

Died 16%

Successful Cases 74% Prognosis Poor 10%

SWT/KWS Meru Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations April -June 2019

APRIL 2019

To see the full report for Meru Vet Unit for the month of April 2019 click here

MAY 2019

To see the full report for Meru Vet Unit for the month of May 2019 click here

JUNE 2019

To see the full report for Meru Vet Unit for the month of June 2019 click here

SWT/KWS AMBOSELI MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OVERVIEW April – June 2019

13 Cases

3 Poaching Cases

6 Elephant Cases

The Amboseli Mobile Vet Unit attended to 13 cases, involving 6 elephants, 2 lions, 1 zebra, 3 giraffes and 1 research study which involved taking samples from 5 buffalos, waterbuck, warthog and zebra. Of the 13 cases, 3 were poaching cases and 1 was due to human-wildlife conflict as a lion was suspected to be poisoned after a livestock kill but despite extensive searching could not be found. The unit also attended to 5 cases where animals were injured due to natural causes and 3 post-mortems where cause of death was natural.

13 Cases Attended to by SWT/KWS Amboseli Vet Unit 1st April - 31st June 2019 6

5

4 Giraffe 3

Plains Game Predators Elephant

2

1

0 Snared

Poaching Postmortem

Human Wildlife Conflict

Natural Causes

Postmortem

Research/Survey

Outcomes of Cases Attended to by SWT/KWS Amboseli Vet Unit 1st April - 31st June 2019

Poaching Death 8% Successful Cases 46%

Died 23%

Not Located 23%

SWT/KWS Amboseli Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations April – June 2019

APRIL 2019

To see the full report for Amboseli Vet Unit for the month of April 2019 click here

MAY 2019

To see the full report for Amboseli Vet Unit for the month of May 2019 click here

JUNE 2019

The Amboseli Vet Unit were on leave for the month of June 2019.

SWT/KWS MT KENYA MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OVERVIEW

April – June 2019

21 Cases

4 Poaching Cases

10 Elephant Cases

The Mt Kenya Mobile Vet Unit attended to 21 cases, involving 10 elephants, 4 rhino, 1 zebra, 1 greater kudu, 1 eland, 2 bongos, a cheetah and a lion. Sadly, two of the elephants suffered bullet wounds, one was given a poor prognosis and the other had to be euthanised due to the extent of the injury. The Unit rescued one adult male elephant that was stuck in mud and successfully removed a tight cutting snare from an elephant.

A lion was also successfully treated for fight wounds after it was attacked by other lions in Loisaba Ranch.

21 Cases Attended to by SWT/KWS Mt Kenya Vet Unit 1st April - 31st June 2019 12

10

8 Rhino 6

Plains Game Predators Elephant

4

2

0 Bullet Wound

Spear

Snared

Natural Causes

Postmortem

Rescue

Technical Cases

Outcomes Cases Attended to by SWT/KWS Mt Kenya Vet Unit 1st April - 31st June 2019 Poaching Death 5%

Died 9% Successful Cases 62% Prognosis Poor 19%

Taken to Orphanage 5%

SWT/KWS Mt Kenya Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations April - June 2019

APRIL 2019

To see the full report for Mt Kenya Vet Unit for the month of April 2019 click here

MAY 2019

To see the full report for Mt Kenya Vet Unit for the month of May 2019 click here

JUNE 2019

To see the full report for Mt Kenya Vet Unit for the month of June 2019 click here