SWT/KWS Veterinary Units Quarterly Report July- September 2019

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

Introduction

134 Cases

50 Poaching Cases

58 Elephant Cases

14 Rhino Cases

12 HWC Cases

52% Success

July – September 2019 Report for Tsavo, Mara, Amboseli and Mt Kenya Units During the July – September 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 134 wildlife cases.

Of the 134 cases attended to, 50 cases were directly related to poaching. Of the 50 poaching cases, 30 involved elephants; 12 poisoned arrows, 6 spear cases, 5 bullet wound cases, 5 snaring cases and 2 postmortems where the direct cause could not be determined due to the decomposition of the carcass but was assumed to be related to poaching. There were also 4 human-elephant conflict cases involving a bullet wound, a possible vehicle accident resulting in a broken leg, an elephant that died from wounds suspected to have been caused during conflict and one elephant that was accidentally electrocuted. Other elephant cases included 7 treatments for natural causes, 8 post-mortems where cause of death was assumed to be natural, 6 rescues and 3 collaring exercises where a total of 7 elephants were collared.

Non-elephant cases attended to involved 20 poaching incidents; 1 bullet case, 1 arrow case, 17 snared animals, and 1 post-mortem where a lion died after eating an elephant that had been killed by a poisoned arrow. There were also 8 human-wildlife conflict cases involving 39 animals, including 32 vultures and eagles that died after eating a poisoned carcass. There were also 13 post-mortems assumed to be natural, 2 rescue cases, 6 technical cases, 22 cases for natural causes and 2 studies investigating unusual animal deaths.

Case Details Elephant Predators Poaching

30

6

Human Wildlife Conflict

4

3

Natural Causes

7

6

Rescue

6

Technical Case Collared

1 3

Rhino 1

Plains Game Giraffe Buffalo 8

Other

5

Grand Total 50

1

4

12

6

10

29

1

1

8

3

1

1

1 2

Research/ Survey

1

6 6

1

2 21

Post-Mortem

8

1

3

3

3

3

Grand Total

58

18

14

25

10

4

5

134

134 Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Vet Units July - September 2019 60

50

Other

40

Buffalo Giraffe Plains Game

30

Rhino Predators Elephant

20

10

0 Poaching

Human Wildlife Conflict

Natural Causes

Post-Mortem

Rescue

Technical Case

Collared

Research/ Survey

Poaching and HWC Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Vet Units July - September 2019 25

20 Other Giraffe 15 Plains Game Rhino 10

Predators Elephant

5

Poaching

Human Wildlife Conflict

Electrocution

Panga

RTA

Poisoning

Livestock Predation

Human Malice

Human Items

Fencing

Bullet Wound

Animal Attack

Spear

Snared

Poaching Postmortem

Bullet Wound

Arrow

0

Outcomes of Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Vet Units July - September 2019 Not Located 1% Reunited with Mother 1% Taken to Orphanage 4%

Successful Cases 52%

Prognosis Poor 5% Poaching Death 11%

Died 22%

HWC Death 4%

Outcomes of Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Vet Units July - September 2019

Mt Kenya

16

Meru

2

12

Amboseli

1 1

7

3

Mara

4

4

1

2

5

1

8

1

20

Tsavo

1

15

0

5

2

10

15

2

6

20

2

4

3

25

8

30

1

35

Successful Cases

Prognosis Poor

Poaching Death

HWC Death

Died

Reunited with Mother

Taken to Orphanage

Not Located

2

40

SWT/KWS Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations Tsavo – Mara – Meru – Amboseli – Mt Kenya July – September 2019

SWT/KWS TSAVO MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OVERVIEW July – September 2019

37 Cases

18 Poaching Cases

18 Elephant Cases

The Tsavo Mobile Vet Unit experienced an increase in cases attended throughout the period due to prevailing drought, especially in Tsavo West. The Unit attended to 37 cases, including 18 elephants and 8 predators amongst others. Of the 37 cases, 18 were related to poaching and 6 to human-wildlife conflict, as well as 2 for natural causes, 1 collaring, 4 rescues, 5 post-mortems and 1 investigation into wildlife mortality.

37 Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Tsavo Vet Unit July - September 2019 9 8 7 Other 6

Buffalo

5

Giraffe Plains Game

4 3 2 1 0

Rhino Predators Elephant

Outcomes of Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Tsavo Vet Unit July - September 2019 Reunited with Mother 3% Successful Cases 41%

Taken to Orphanage 5% Prognosis Poor 5%

Poaching Death 16%

Died 22% HWC Death 8%

SWT/KWS Tsavo Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations July - September 2019

July 2019

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

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

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

SWT/KWS MARA MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OVERVIEW July – September 2019

27 Cases

12 Poaching Cases

14 Elephant Cases

The Masai Mara received rain at the beginning July, however the following two months were dry. The annual migration began, and many animals were spread throughout the ecosystem. The good rains experienced earlier in the year provided enough forage for the herbivores and prey for the carnivores. The Mara Mobile Vet Unit attended to 27 cases, involving 14 elephants, 6 lions, 2 giraffe, 3 plains game, a pangolin and a warthog. Of the 27 cases, 12 were directly related to poaching; 4 arrow wounds, 5 snares, 3 spear wounds, and 2 to human-wildlife conflict, as well as 7 due to natural cases, 4 post-mortems and 2 collaring.

27 Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Mara Vet Unit July - September 2019 8 7 6 Other

5

Giraffe Plains Game

4

Predators Elephant

3 2 1 0 Arrow

Spear

Snared

Human Wildlife Natural Causes Conflict

Post-Mortem

Collared

Outcomes of Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Mara Vet Unit July - September 2019

Poaching Death 7% Successful Cases 74%

Died 15%

Prognosis Poor 4%

SWT/KWS Mara Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations July – September 2019

July 2019

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

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

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

SWT/KWS MERU MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OVERVIEW July – September 2019

19 Cases

5 Poaching Cases

6 Rhino Cases

Over the reporting period, the drought situation has continued to worsen in Northern Kenya, increasing human related injuries to wildlife as they compete for the remaining limited resources. The Meru Mobile Vet Unit attended to 19 cases, involving 3 elephants, 3 predators, 4 plains game, 6 rhinos, a bongo and a giraffe.

The Unit also investigated buffalo mortality in Meru National Park. There were 5 poaching related cases, and 1 human-wildlife conflict case. Other cases included 7 for natural causes, 3 post-mortems, 1 collaring and the removal of a malfunctioning collar from a lion.

19 Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Meru Vet Unit July - September 2019 8 7 6 Buffalo 5

Giraffe Plains Game

4

Rhino Predators

3

Elephant 2 1 0 Bullet Wound

Snared

Human Wildlife Conflict

Natural Causes

Post-Mortem

Technical Cases

Collared

Research/ Survey

Outcomes of Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Meru Vet Unit July - September 2019 Prognosis Poor 5% Poaching Death 5%

Successful Cases 63%

Died 21%

Taken to Orphanage 6%

SWT/KWS Meru Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations July - September 2019

July 2019

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

August 2019

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

September 2019

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

SWT/KWS AMBOSELI MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OVERVIEW July – September 2019

24 Cases

9 Poaching Cases

12 Elephant Cases

The Amboseli Mobile Vet Unit attended to 24 cases, 12 of which involved elephants. Of the elephant cases, the Unit attended 5 with poaching wounds, including an elephant with a bullet wound that had to be euthanised despite two days of intensive treatment, a bull that was stuck in the muddy swamps of Amboseli, the collaring of 5 elephants in 1 exercise, 2 cases due to natural causes and 3 post-mortems where natural death was concluded. Other cases included treatments of a snared lion, 3 plains game for natural causes and 3 snared giraffes. The Unit also conducted post-mortems of 2 giraffes and 2 plains game, and a case where 30 vultures and 2 eagles were poisoned.

24 Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Amboseli Vet Unit July - September 2019 8 7 6 Other 5 4 3

Giraffe Plains Game Predators Elephant

2 1 0

Outcomes of Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Amboseli Vet Unit July - September 2019 Not Located 4% Successful Cases 29% Prognosis Poor 13%

Died 33%

Poaching Death 17%

HWC Death 4%

SWT/KWS Amboseli Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations July – September 2019

July 2019

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

August 2019

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

September 2019

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

SWT/KWS MT KENYA MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OVERVIEW July – September 2019

27 Cases

6 Poaching Cases

11 Elephant Cases

During the reporting period, the Mt Kenya attended to many critical wildlife cases in the Laikipia eco-system and Mt Kenya region. The Unit were also involved in an ear notching exercise of 22 black rhinos and the stimulation of follicle growth and collection of oocytes in the endangered Northern white rhino. In total the Unit attended to 27 cases, involving 11 elephants, 6 rhino, 5 plains game, 1 giraffe, 3 bongo and 1 security dog that was injured whilst on patrol. Of the 28 cases, 6 were related to poaching; 2 bullet, 2 arrow and 2 snare cases and 2 were related to human-wildlife conflict; one elephant died after being electrocuted by powerlines and another with a bullet wound most likely caused during conflict rather than from poaching.

27 Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Mt Kenya Vet Unit July - September 2019 9 8 7 Other 6 Giraffe 5 Plains Game 4 Rhino 3 2 1 0

Elephant

Outcomes of Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Meru Vet Unit July - September 2019

Taken to Orphanage 7%

Successful Cases 59%

Poaching Death 7%

Died 19%

HWC Death 8%

SWT/KWS Mt Kenya Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations July - September 2019

July 2019

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

August 2019

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

September 2019

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