SWT/KWS Mobile Veterinary Units Quarterly Report April - June 2024
SWT/KWS MOBILE VETERINARY UNITS
TSAVO, MARA, MERU, AMBO MT KENYA, RIFT VALLEY
April – June 2024 Report
April – June 2024 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 126 wildlife cases involving 194 animals. Despite a significant decrease in rainfall, the moderate rains moderate have kept the vegetation green and water pans full for wildlife.
During this reporting period, there were 39 poaching incidents and 18 human-wildlife conflict cases. Three rhinos and 1 elephant sustained bullet wounds, the elephant was given a guarded prognosis, two rhinos are expected to recover fully but sadly one succumbed to its injuries. There were 22 snaring cases involving an elephant, a lion, 4 waterbuck, 10 zebra, 4 giraffe and 2 buffalo. 6 elephants and 1 zebra were arrowed (with another injured in a poaching attempt with an unknown sharp object), and 4 elephants and a giraffe were treated for spear injuries. Of the HWC cases, there were several relocations of 22 animals (lion, elephant, waterbuck, buffalo and zebra) to mitigate potential threats to both human and animal life. Sadly, a lion was poisoned after it preyed on livestock and a hyena was killed in retaliation for attacking 3 people. Other cases included relocating a problematic leopard, rescue of 2 elephants and a wildebeest that were stuck in manmade pits, treatment of 3 zebras that were injured by fences, assessment of 1 zebra for fence electrocution and another that was hit by a car; sadly these two did not survive.
The Units also collared 1 lioness and 6 baboons, rescued a zebra foal, attended to KWS security dogs/horses and de-horned a particularly aggressive white rhino bull. Two of the Units assisted with the return of rhinos which had strayed out of protected areas, whilst others were involved in the mass translocation of various plains game (51 animals ) into new sanctuaries. The rest of the cases were related to natural causes.
Case Details
Outcomes of Cases Attended
Vet Units
Outcomes of Cases Attended
Vet Units
Tsavo
Mara
Mt Kenya
Meru
Ambo
Rift Valley
April – June 2024
Tsavo
SWT/KWS TSAVO MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT
OVERVIEW
32 Cases
April – June 2023
9 Poaching Cases 21 Elephant Cases
The Tsavo Conservation Area received lower precipitation during April - June 2024 compared to the preceding months. However, most water pans are still full and both grazers and browsers have enough food The Tsavo Vet Unit attended to 32 cases, of which 21 involved elephants as well as 4 zebra, 1 giraffe, 1 buffalo, 1 lion, 3 impala and a waterbuck. Significant cases involved the translocated of an adult female and her calves from community land to Tsavo East National Park, the rescue of a bull stuck in a drainage ditch by the side of road and another that was trapped in a deep pit/well full of water. Additionally, 3 elephants were treated for spear wounds, 1 for an arrow wound an another for a snare wound amongst other cases.
32 Cases Attended to by the SWT/KWS Tsavo Vet Unit April - June 2024
Outcomes of Cases Attended to by the SWT/KWS Tsavo Vet Unit
April - June 2024
SWT/KWS Tsavo Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations
April 2024
To see the full report for Tsavo Vet Unit for the month of April 2024 click here
May 2024
To see the full report for Tsavo Vet Unit for the month of May 2024 click here
June 2024
To see the full report for Tsavo Vet Unit for the month of June 2024 click here
SWT/KWS MARA MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT
OVERVIEW
April – June 2024
12 Cases
6 Poaching Cases
6 Elephant Cases
The SWT/KWS Mara Mobile Veterinary Unit attended to 12 Cases during this Quarter involving 6 elephants, 3 lions, 1 zebra, 1 giraffe and 1 case where 9 antelope (2 eland, 3 topi and 4 impala) were relocated after they jumped over a fence into community land. All animals were successfully captured and taken back into the sanctuary. The poaching cases attended to involved 1 speared giraffe, a speared elephant and 4 arrowed elephants. One of the arrowed elephants died from its injuries, the giraffe was given a poor prognosis whilst the others should make a full recovery. One lioness was treated for injuries sustained during hunting and a male lion, Lorkulup, was treated on two separate occasions for a snake bite.
12 Cases Attended to by the SWT/KWS Mara Vet Unit
April - June 2024
Giraffe
Plains Game
Predators Elephant
Outcomes of Cases Attended to by the SWT/KWS Mara Vet Unit
April - June 2024
SWT/KWS Mara Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations
April 2024
To see the full report for Mara Vet Unit for the month of April 2024 click here
May 2024
To see the full report for Mara Vet Unit for the month of May 2024 click here
June2024
To see the full report for Mara Vet Unit for the month of June 2024 click here
SWT/KWS MERU MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT
OVERVIEW
April – June 2024
13 Cases
2 Poaching Cases
2 Elephant Cases
Due to the April rains, the Meru ecosystem was transformed with seasonal rivers coursing through the Park breathing vitality into the landscape. There was plenty of food and water for wildlife however, by the end of June the landscape and rivers began to dry up. Due to the favourable conditions, there were fewer cases reported and the Unit were called to only 13 cases (including 2 elephant and 2 poaching cases). Of the poaching cases, there was a lion with a snare injury and a rhino which had strayed from the Meru Rhino Sanctuary and sustained bullet wounds. Another rhino also wandered out of the park but was successfully guided back unharmed. The two elephants were both post-mortem cases deemed to be natural deaths.
13 Cases Attended to by the SWT/KWS Meru Vet Unit April - June 2024
Other
Giraffe
Plains Game
Rhinos
Predators
Elephant
Outcomes of Cases Attended to by the
SWT/KWS Meru Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations
April 2024
To see the full report for Meru Vet Unit for the month of April 2024 click here
May 2024
To see the full report for Meru Vet Unit for the month of May 2024 click here
June 2024
To see the full report for Meru Vet Unit for the month of June 2023 click here
SWT/KWS AMBOSELI MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT
OVERVIEW
April – June 2024
9 Cases
3 Poaching Cases 3 Elephant Cases
The Southern Conservation Area experienced heavy rains during April which turned to warm and hot weather throughout May and June 2024. Out of the 9 cases attended to in this quarter, 3 involved elephants, 2 lions, a giraffe, zebra, hyena and wildebeest. One of the elephants was treated for an arrow wound whilst the other was treated for natural causes and a post-mortem was conducted on one that was concluded to be a natural death. One of the lions treated sadly died due to poisoning relating to human-wildlife conflict/livestock predation and another was collared to help monitor and prevent future conflict. Sadly, a hyena was also killed by the local community in retaliation after it attacked 3 people.
9 Cases Attended to by the SWT/KWS Amboseli Vet Unit April - June 2024
Giraffe Plains Game Predators Elephant
Outcomes of Cases Attended to by the
SWT/KWSAmboseli Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations
April 2024
To see the full report for Amboseli Vet Unit for the month of April 2024 click here
May2024
To see the full report for Amboseli Vet Unit for the month of May 2024 click here
June 2024
To see the full report for Amboseli Vet Unit for the month of June 2024 click here
SWT/KWS MT KENYA MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT
OVERVIEW
April – June 2024
25 Cases
3 Elephant Cases
6 Poaching Cases
During this quarter, the Unit were involved in the mass relocation of plains game. In Mt Kenya Wildlife Conservancy, 22 endangered bongos were relocated from bomas to sanctuaries, with 1 translocated back at a later date as it wasn’t adjusting well to the new environment. Also from the Conservancy, 5 bushbucks and 7 waterbucks were relocated to Solai and Tindress Conservancies respectively. 2 bushbucks were also relocated to Solai from Ol Pejeta Conservancy. In Ol Jogi, a white rhino which had been placed in a boma due to an injury was relocated back into the larger conservancy. Three other rhinos were treated, one for a bullet wound and the others for natural causes, whereas a fourth was de-horned due to aggressive behaviour.
25 Cases Attended to by the SWT/KWS Mt Kenya Vet Unit April - June 2024
Outcomes of Cases Attended to by the
April - June 2024
Mt Kenya Vet Unit
SWT/KWS Mt Kenya Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations
April 2024
To see the full report for Mt Kenya Vet Unit for the month of April 2024 click here
May 2024
To see the full report for Mt Kenya Vet Unit for the month of May 2024 click here
June 2024
To see the full report for Mt Kenya Vet Unit for the month of June 2024 click here
SWT/KWS RIFT VALLEY MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT
OVERVIEW
April – June 2024
35 Cases
13 Poaching Cases 14 Plains Game Cases
The Central Rift Valley received heavy rainfall in April – May which subsided in June to slightly warmer weather. Throughout this quarter, the Unit attended to 35 cases, with plains game comprising over 50% of the cases. There were 12 poaching cases, all snare injuries (4 waterbuck, 4 zebra, 2 giraffe and a buffalo) except one zebra which was attacked by a sharp object. There were also 7 HWC cases, including relocation of an aggressive waterbuck from a lodge and 14 zebras from Naivasha Prisons. Three other zebras were treated after becoming entangled in fences, a leopard was ear-notched and relocated out of a predator free estate and an assessment was carried out for the possible relocation of 2 hippos out of farmland.
25 Cases Attended to by the SWT/KWS Mt Kenya Vet Unit
April - June 2024
Outcomes of Cases Attended to by the
April - June 2024
Rift Valley Vet Unit
SWT/KWS Rift Valley Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations
April 2024
To see the full report for Rift Valley Vet Unit for the month of April 2024 click here
May 2024
To see the full report for Rift Valley Vet Unit for the month of May 2024 click here
June 2024
To see the full report for Rift Valley Vet Unit for the month of June 2024 click here
