SWT/KWS Mobile Veterinary Units Quarterly Report July- September 2024
SWT/KWS MOBILE VETERINARY UNITS
TSAVO, MARA, MERU, AMBO MT KENYA, RIFT VALLEY
July – September 2024 Report
July – September 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 135 wildlife cases involving 972 animals. The large number of animals is due to mass relocations largely to mitigate human-wildlife conflict. The rainy season as mostly ended for this reporting period and the dry season has set in, but most areas have still maintained enough vegetation and water to sustain wildlife. However, as the dry season continued some areas did see a slight increase in poaching and human – wildlife conflict cases.
During this reporting period, there were 49 poaching incidents and 19 human-wildlife conflict cases. The majority of these cases were snare injuries (32) as well as 8 spear injuries, 8 arrow injuries and a postmortem of an elephant with human involvement though the direct method was not clear. 19 of the poaching cases involved elephants, 5 snared, 7 spears and 6 arrowed. 16 of the elephants were all treated successfully whilst, sadly, 2 succumbed to their injuries and 1 was given a guarded prognosis.
Of the human-wildlife conflict cases, there were 7 rescue cases of 19 elephants that fell into deep sided wells dug by humans which were labour intensive operations taking many hours to extract them. 8 lions that were preying on livestock were also relocated whilst another one was poisoned, confirmed by a post-mortem. There was also the mass drive of 713 zebras and 38 elands that had strayed into the private farmland leading to human-wildlife conflict, as well as postmortem of a crocodile killed due to HWC, 2 zebras hit by vehicles, another with a panga wound, a giraffe entangled in a rubber ring and another that was stuck in a fence.
Of all the cases there was a 67% success rate, and only 5% poaching and 2% HWC death rate.
Case Details
Outcomes of Cases Attended to
Vet Units
Tsavo Mara
Mt Kenya
Meru
Ambo
Rift Valley
SWT/KWS
Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations
Tsavo – Mara – Meru –Amboseli – Mt Kenya – Rift Valley
July – September 2024
SWT/KWS TSAVO MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT
OVERVIEW
41 Cases
July – September 2024
16 Poaching Cases
31 Elephant Cases
Tsavo Conservation Area experienced very little precipitation in July and August, with insignificant drizzles occurring in September. A few water pans remain full, but vegetation has rapidly dried out. Thankfully, most animals are still in good body condition. The Unit attended to 41 cases in this reporting period, 14 of which required the assistance of the SWT helicopter. The majority of the cases involved elephants (31), and there was an increase in poaching and human-wildlife conflict related cases (29). 21 of the poaching/HWC cases directly involved elephants as well as 1 snared zebra, 1 snared buffalo and 1 snared lion, another lion was treated for poisoning, another relocated to prevent livestock predation and a giraffe was trapped in a fence.
41 Cases Attended to by the SWT/KWS Tsavo Vet Unit July - September 2024
Buffalo
Giraffe
Plains Game
Predators
Elephant
Outcomes of Cases Attended to by the SWT/KWS Tsavo Vet Unit
July - September 2024
SWT/KWS Tsavo Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations
July – September 2024
To see the full report for Tsavo Vet Unit for the month of July 2024 click here
August 2024
To see the full report for Tsavo Vet Unit for the month of August 2024 click here
September 2024
To see the full report for Tsavo Vet Unit for the month of September 2024 click here
SWT/KWS MARA MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT
OVERVIEW
July – September 2024
22 Cases
12 Poaching Cases 6 Elephant Cases
The Mara Vet Unit attended to 22 cases July – September 2024. Involving 6 elephants, 7 lions, 1 White rhino, 3 zebras and 5 giraffes. The 6 elephants were treated for either spear (4) or arrow (2) wounds. The zebras and 1 giraffe were treated for snare injuries, 2 other giraffes were treated for spear injuries, another after it became entangled in a rubber ring and the last for natural causes. All 7 lions were treated for fight injuries and the rhino attended to after Rangers reported it was uncoordinated and was frequently collapsing; unfortunately, this seems to be an ongoing/reoccurring problem and will be monitored. 86% of the cases were given a good prognosis but sadly one of the giraffes had a fractured leg and had to be euthanised.
22 Cases Attended to by the SWT/KWS Mara Vet Unit July - September 2024
Giraffe
Outcomes of Cases Attended to by the SWT/KWS Mara Vet Unit
July - September 2024
SWT/KWS Mara Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations
July – September 2024
To see the full report for Mara Vet Unit for the month of July 2024 click here
August 2024
To see the full report for Mara Vet Unit for the month of August 2024 click here
September 2024
To see the full report for Mara Vet Unit for the month of September 2024 click here
SWT/KWS MERU MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT
OVERVIEW
April – June 2024
13 Cases
7 Poaching Cases
2 Elephant Cases
During July - September the dry season has set in, and the grass has gradually lost its green hue, and a few patches in the plains are devoid of flora. However, an intriguing phenomenon was noted: some rivers exhibited a mysterious increase in water levels, even as the surrounding environment remained arid. Consequently, incidents of poaching and human-wildlife conflict have increased, as animals move beyond protected areas into human settlements in search of sustenance. However, the positive developments were tempered by a rise in tsetse fly density and an ongoing challenge with snare poaching. The Unit attended to 12 cases during this period involving 7 snare cases and 3 HWC cases.
12 Cases Attended to by the SWT/KWS Meru Vet Unit July - September 2024
Outcomes of Cases Attended to by the SWT/KWS Meru Vet Unit
July - September 2024
SWT/KWS Meru Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations
To see the full report for Meru Vet Unit for the month of July 2024 click here
August 2024
To see the full report for Meru Vet Unit for the month of August 2024 click here
September 2024
To see the full report for Meru Vet Unit for the month of September 2024 click here
SWT/KWS AMBOSELI MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT
OVERVIEW
July – September 2024
4 Cases
1 Poaching Cases 2 Elephant Cases
The Southern Conservation area in August and September 2024 experienced warm and hot weather. The Unit were on leave in July but noticed a decrease in cases with the Amboseli Ecosystem during August and September. The Unit were only called to 4 cases, involving an elephant with a spear injury, most likely caused by human – wildlife conflict, 2 zebras knocked down by a speeding vehicle at the same time, another zebra with a long-standing snare wire around the neck and another elephant with two wounds to the hind limbs which were possibly natural in nature. Other than the zebras hit by a vehicle, the other cases were all successful treated and should make a full recovery.
4 Cases Attended to by the SWT/KWS Amboseli Vet Unit July - September 2024
Outcomes of Cases Attended to by the SWT/KWS Amboseli Vet Unit
July - September 2024
SWT/KWSAmboseli Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations
July – September 2024
To Amboseli Vet Unit were on leave for the month of July 2024
August 2024
To see the full report for Amboseli Vet Unit for the month of August 2024 click here
September 2024
To see the full report for Amboseli Vet Unit for the month of September 2024 click here
SWT/KWS MT KENYA MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT
OVERVIEW
July – September 2024
21 Cases
4 Elephant Cases
2 Poaching Cases
During July – September 2024, the SWT/KWS Mt. Kenya Mobile Veterinary Unit attended to 21 wildlife cases involving 831 animals. The number of animals attended to was high as the Unit assisted in the mass drive of zebras (713) and elands (38) that had strayed in large numbers into private farmland leading to humanwildlife conflict. The Unit also assisted in the relocation of 6 zebras and 4 waterbucks from Mt. Kenya Wildlife Conservancy to Tindress Wildlife Conservancy. During the return trip the Unit relocated 10 young ostriches to Mt. Kenya Wildlife Conservancy. The Unit also relocated 7 problematic lions, treated 1 snared lion and hyena as well as conducted a postmortem on a crocodile that had ingested a plastic pipe among other cases.
21 Cases Attended to by the SWT/KWS Mt Kenya Vet Unit July - September 2024
Outcomes of Cases Attended to by the SWT/KWS Mt Kenya Vet Unit
July - September 2024
SWT/KWS Mt Kenya Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations
July – September 2024
To see the full report for Mt Kenya Vet Unit for the month of July 2024 click here
August 2024
To see the full report for Mt Kenya Vet Unit for the month of August 2024 click here
September 2024
To see the full report for Mt Kenya Vet Unit for the month of Sept 2024 click here
SWT/KWS RIFT VALLEY MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT
Several areas north and south of Lake Naivasha and the Central Rift Conservation Area experienced sporadic rainfall and the area generally remains green. During this quarter, the Unit attended to 35 cases, 11 of which were directly related to poaching (1 snared lion, 2 snared giraffes, 4 snared zebras, 1 speared zebra, 2 snared buffalo and 1 snared warthog). There was also 1 zebra with a panga/machete injury likely caused during human-wildlife conflict. The other cases involving, 1 buffalo, 1 giraffe, 2 lion, 2 security dogs and 13 zebras were all natural. In addition, the Unit carried out a postmortem on an elephant in the Aberdare’s that had injuries likely caused in a fight with another elephant as well as two rhinos which drowned in Nakuru.
Outcomes of Cases Attended to by the SWT/KWS Rift Valley Vet Unit
July - September 2024
SWT/KWS Rift Valley Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations
To see the full report for Rift Valley Vet Unit for the month of July 2024 click here
August 2024
To see the full report for Rift Valley Vet Unit for the month of August 2024 click here
September 2024
To see the full report for Rift Valley Vet Unit for the month of Sept 2024 click here
