SWT/KWS Mobile Veterinary Units Quarterly Report October - December 2019

SWT/KWS MOBILE VETERINARY UNITS TSAVO – MARA – MERU - AMBOSELI – MT KENYA October – December 2019 Year Report

Introduction

88 Cases

22 Poaching Cases

24 Elephant Cases

18 Predator Cases

18 HWC Cases

56 % Success

October – December 2019 Report for Tsavo, Mara, Amboseli and Mt Kenya Units During October – December 2019 SWT in partnership with the Kenya Wildlife Service, attended to 88 wildlife cases, involving 124 animals. The number of cases decreased towards the end of the quarter due to heavy rains which made many areas of Kenya inaccessible, but also provided plentiful forage and water for wildlife, humans and livestock.

Of the 88 cases attended to, 24 cases included elephants; only 8 of these cases were directly related to poaching, including 3 arrow wounds, 2 spear wounds, 2 bullet wounds and 1 snaring case. There was only 1 human-wildlife conflict case where an elephant was euthanised due to an injury most likely caused by a vehicle. Other elephant cases included 8 treatments for natural causes, 5 post-mortems, the rescue of an elephant that was found in a 40ft gorge, and the collaring of an elephant in a herd that was reportedly crop raiding.

There were also 18 predator cases involving 1 cheetah, 3 leopards, 13 lions and 1 wild dog. The Units also attended to 11 rhino cases, including post-mortems of two rhinos that died from bullet wounds, 4 that were treated for natural causes, 3 post-mortems, the retrieval of oocytes of the last two Northern White rhino females for artificial insemination and the ear notching of 19 rhinos in Tsavo West. In addition, the Units attended to 16 plains game cases,

3 giraffe cases, 2 buffalo cases and 4 cases involving an ostrich, a crocodile, and 2 cases involving vultures.

Case Details Elephant

Predators

Plains Game

Giraffe

Rhino

Poaching

8

1

3

8

2

HWC

1

7

3

4

Natural Causes

8

6

9

1

Post-mortem

5

Rescue

1

1

1

Grand Total

2

28

3

9 2 1

2

1 18

3 3

1

24

18

4

Research/Survey Relocation

Grand Total 22

2 1

Other

1

Technical Cases Collared

Buffalo

16

13

11

2

1 1

2

4

88

88 Cases attended to by All the SWT/KWS Vet Units October - December 2019 30

25 Other 20

Buffalo Rhino

15

Giraffe Plains Game

10

Predators Elephant

5

Relocation

Research/ Survey

Collared

Technical Case

Rescue

Post-Mortem

Natural Causes

Human Wildlife Conflict

Poaching

0

Poaching and HWC Cases attended to by All the SWT/KWS Vet Units October - December 2019 14

12

10 Other Buffalo

8

Rhino 6

Giraffe Plains Game

4

Predators Elephant

2

Poaching

Human Wildlife Conflict

Spear

RTA

Relocation

Poison

Manhole

Livestock Predation

Human Items

Fencing

Spear

Snared

Bullet Wound

Arrow

0

Outcomes of Cases attended to by All the SWT/KWS Vet Units October - December 2019 Taken to Orphanage 1%

Prognosis Poor 9%

Died 20% Successful Cases 56%

HWC Death 8% Poaching Death 6%

Outcomes of Cases attended to by All the SWT/KWS Vet Units October - December 2019

Mt Kenya

Meru

Amboseli

13

4

3

1

11

Tsavo

11

Successful Cases

2

1

5

10

Mara

5

1

2

1

2

1

3

Prognosis Poor

Died

5

HWC Death

5

Poaching Death

2

Taken to Orphanage

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

SWT/KWS TSAVO MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OVERVIEW October – December 2019

26 Cases

7 Poaching Cases

11 Elephant Cases

The Tsavo Mobile Vet Unit attended to 26 cases, involving 11 elephants, 4 predators, 5 plains game, 5 giraffes and 1 rhino. Of the 28 cases, 7 were directly related to poaching and 6 to human-wildlife conflict, as well as 7 for natural causes, 2 lion collarings, 3 elephant post-mortems and 1 case where 19 rhinos were ear notched. The poaching related cases involved the post-mortem of an elephant that died of a bullet wound, 2 speared elephants and 4 giraffes with snares. All the giraffes were given a good prognosis

26 Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Tsavo Vet Unit October - December 2019 8 7 6 5

Rhino Giraffe

4

Plains Game Predators

3

Elephant 2 1 0 Poaching

Human Wildlife Conflict

Natural Causes

Post-Mortem

Technical Case

Collared

Outcomes of Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Tsavo Vet Unit October - December 2019

Prognosis Poor 12%

Successful Cases 42%

Died 19%

HWC Death 19% Poaching Death 8%

SWT/KWS Tsavo Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations October - December 2019

October 2019

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

November 2019

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December 2019

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SWT/KWS MARA MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OVERVIEW October – December 2019

15 Cases

6 Poaching Cases

3 Elephant Cases

The Mara Mobile Vet Unit attended to 15 cases, involving 3 elephants, 3 predators, 2 giraffes, 2 rhinos, 3 plains game and an incident where vultures were poisoned after eating a poisoned hyena carcass. 6 of the vultures died as a result whilst 2 were treated and released at the scene, and 5 were kept for 2 weeks for treatment then released. Of the 15 cases, 6 were directly related to poaching; 2 arrow wounds and 4 snares, as well as 5 cases related to human-wildlife conflict,2 for natural causes, 1 post-mortem and 1 collaring.

15 Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Mara Vet Unit October - December 2019 7

6

5 Other 4

Rhino Giraffe

3

Plains Game Predators

2

Elephant

1

0 Poaching

Human Wildlife Conflict

Natural Causes

Post-Mortem

Collared

Outcomes of Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Mara Vet Unit October - December 2019

Died 7%

Successful Cases 73%

HWC Death 13%

Poaching Death 7%

SWT/KWS Mara Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations October – December 2019

October 2019

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

November 2019

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

December 2019

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SWT/KWS MERU MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OVERVIEW October – December 2019

12 Cases

1 Poaching Case

5 Rhino Cases

The Meru Mobile Vet Unit attended to 12 cases, involving 2 elephants, 1 lion, 2 zebra, 1 buffalo, 5 rhinos and 1 crocodile. The crocodile escaped from a local farm and had to be captured and returned. Buffalo health was assessed following the dry season, but the assessment revealed a rejuvenation of vegetation. One elephant was given a poor prognosis after treatment for a bullet wound whilst the other was euthanised following a fracture. 2 post-mortems were conducted on rhinos, whilst the other 3 were treated for natural causes. Two zebras were also treated, one of which was euthanised due to the extent of its injuries.

12 Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Meru Vet Unit October - December 2019 8

7

6 Other

5

Buffalo Rhino

4

Plains Game Predators

3

Elephant 2

1

0 Poaching

Natural Causes

Post-Mortem

Technical Case

Research/ Survey

Outcomes of Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Meru Vet Unit October - December 2019

Prognosis Poor 25%

Died 42%

Successful Cases 33%

SWT/KWS Meru Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations October -December 2019

October 2019

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

November 2019

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December 2019

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SWT/KWS AMBOSELI MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OVERVIEW October – December 2019

13 Cases

2 Poaching Cases

4 Elephant Cases

The Amboseli Mobile Vet Unit attended to 13 cases, involving 4 elephants, 2 lions, 2 plains game and 5 giraffes. There were 2 poaching cases where snares were removed from two giraffes, both were given a good prognosis. There were also 3 human-wildlife conflict cases involving a giraffe with a tyre round its neck, a giraffe entangled in fencing wire and the relocation of a lion that mauled two local Masai men. The remaining cases were 6 animals treated for natural causes and 2 post-mortems.

13 Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Amboseli Vet Unit October - December 2019 7

6

5

Giraffe

4

Plains Game Predators

3

Elephant 2

1

0 Poaching

Human Wildlife Conflict

Natural Causes

Post-Mortem

Outcomes of Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Amboseli Vet Unit October - December 2019

Successful Cases 77%

Prognosis Poor 8% Died 15%

SWT/KWS Amboseli Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations October – December 2019

October 2019

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

November 2019

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December 2019

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SWT/KWS MT KENYA MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OVERVIEW October – December 2019

22 Cases

6 Poaching Cases

4 Elephant Cases

The Mt Kenya Mobile Vet Unit attended to 22 cases, involving 4 elephants, 8 predators, 4 plains game, 3 rhino, 1 buffalo and 1 ostrich. Of the 22 cases, 2 elephants were treated for arrow wounds and 1 giraffe and 1 leopard were treated for snare injuries. The leopard’s paw was completely severed and it was released into a semi-captive enclosure as it cannot survive in the wild. The Unit also conducted 2 post-mortems on rhinos which revealed they died from gun shot injuries. One buffalo was relocated after becoming trapped in a lodges fence, posing a danger to guests and staff, two leopards was immobilised and relocated due to human-wildlife conflict and a bongo was treated after accidentally ingesting something toxic.

22 Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Mt Kenya Vet Unit October - December 2019 7

6

5 Other Buffalo

4

Rhino Giraffe

3

Plains Game Predators

2

Elephant 1

0 Poaching

Human Wildlife Natural Causes Conflict

Post-Mortem

Rescue

Technical Case

Relocation

Outcomes of Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Mt Kenya Vet Unit October - December 2019 Prognosis Poor 4% Taken to Orphanage 5%

Successful Cases 59%

Died 23%

Poaching Death 9%

SWT/KWS Mt Kenya Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations October - December 2019

October 2019

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November 2019

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December 2019

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