SWT/KWS MOBILE VETERINARY UNITS

TSAVO, MARA, MERU, AMBO MT KENYA, RIFT VALLEY

January – March 2023 Report

January – March 2023 Report for Tsavo, Mara, Meru, Amboseli, Mt Kenya and Rift Valley Units.

The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT), in conjunction with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) operate six Mobile Veterinary Units Within the quarter, the Units attended to a total of 195 wildlife cases involving 265 animals.

There were 68 elephant, 16 predator, 19 rhino, 56 plains game, 18 giraffes, 12 buffalo cases as well as 3 security dogs cases and relocation of 5 ostriches and treatment of another. During the same relocation operation in February, 6 wildebeest were also moved from the same area due to over population.

Out of the poaching cases, there were 51 snaring cases, 20 spear, 10 arrow and 2 bullet wounds. The majority of the snare cases were plains game with 27 zebra, 3 buffalo, 2 waterbuck, 1 impala and 1 wildebeest treated for snare related injuries as well as 12 giraffe and 3 elephants Only 1 giraffe died from the injuries and 4 zebras given a guarded prognosis; the rest were treated successfully. Of the 32 other poaching cases, there were only 3 deaths; a post-mortem of a giraffe which revealed an arrow wound, another giraffe which died from spear injuries before the vet arrived and an elephant which was euthanised due to a severe spear injury. Five elephants were also given a guarded prognosis: 2 for bullet wounds and 3 for spear injuries.

There has been an increase in human-wildlife conflict cases during this quarter involving a various species including 2 elephants and 3 colobus monkeys which were electrocuted due to faulty wiring, 1 elephant was treated for a bullet wound and 9 for spear wounds due to conflict with the communities, 3 lions were speared and 2 relocated due to proximity to people and/or livestock predation. A total of 29 animals (oryx, buffalo, 7 elephants, 13 giraffe, 5 waterbucks 2 zebra) were relocated to alleviate potential human-wildlife conflict.

Of the cases there was a 73% success rate and only 6% death rate due to poaching or human-wildlife conflict.

Case Details

Outcomes of Cases Attended to by the SWT/KWS Vet Units

Outcomes of Cases Attended to by the SWT/KWS Vet Units January - March 2023

SWT/KWS Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations

Tsavo – Mara – Meru –Amboseli – Mt Kenya – Rift Valley

January – March 2023