AMBOSELI MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT REPORT FOR MAY 2019

SWT/KWS AMBOSELI MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT May 2019

Introduction

7 Cases in May

3 Poaching Cases

4 Elephant Cases

May Report by Dr Kariuki Edward

During May 2019, Amboseli Mobile Veterinary Unit (AMVU) attended to eight wild animals that required veterinary intervention. A giraffe and zebra were treated while two elephants were examined for cause of death. A lion and one elephant were attended but could not be treated due to individual limitations in either case. The team attempted to find the lion at Chyulu for a second time but were met with unnavigable terrain and loss of VHF signal after a whole day search. The lion was later reported to have joined its group. An emaciated elephant at Imbirikani was estimated to be in-calf and immobilization for any treatment could worsen the condition. An elephant at Ithumba could also not be traced for treatment due to dense bush thicket. A description of the cases attended during May follows in the subsequent pages of the report.

Acknowledgement We thank Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT) for material support and Mobile Unit funding, KWS for logistical support and security. Biglife foundation and SWT rangers for reporting and monitoring of distressed wild animals. Lion guardians are thanked for the lion report and assistance in tracking.

Case Details Date

Species

Area Found

Reason for Intervention

Outcome

04-May-19

Lion

Chyulu Hills

Human Wildlife Conflict

05-May-19

Giraffe

Amboseli Environs

Snared

Both hind legs had injuries due to a cable snare hanging from the neck

Successfully Treated

10-May-19

Elephant

Amboseli Environs

Postmortem

The elephant looked emaciated

Died

19-May-19

Elephant

Ithumba, Tsavo East

Snared

Reported with a snare but despite an extensive aerial search, not found

Not Located

20-May-19

Elephant

Amboseli Environs

Natural Causes

The elephant was emaciated but was feeding well

Taken to Orphanage

26-May-19

Zebra

Amboseli NP

Natural Causes

Right forelimb had a joint dislocation and tenderness of the muscles

Successfully Treated

Elephant

Tsavo West NP

Poaching Postmortem

The trunk truncated and was a distance from the carcass, and tusks missing

Poaching Death

28-May-19

The illness followed a livestock kill so the lion could have been poisoned

Not Located

SWT/KWS Amboseli Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations May 2019

Case 1 – 4th May 2019 Lion

Human-Wildlife Conflict

Chyulu Hills National Park

KWS reported a lion that seemed to be unwell. The lion had been tracked by Lion guardians for a week and suspected to be seriously ill. The illness followed a livestock kill and this helped imagine that the lion could have been injured during or poisoned after the kill. The AMVU travelled to Chyulu but could not trace the animal. The search was rendered impossible after the signal got lost. The landscape and forest could not allow advanced foot tracking.

Tracking The lion was searched for 6 hours using VHF signals on its collar and visual. The animal was not seen or treated.

Prognosis The teams will continue to monitor for any signs of the animal and report back.

There are no photographs for this case.

Case 2 – 5th May 2019 Giraffe

Snared

Amboseli Environs

Big-life Foundation rangers reported the giraffe to the AMVU on 4 May 2019. The giraffe was lame and had a wire snare around the neck.

Immobilisation, examination and treatment The giraffe was captured chemically using 12mg Etorphine HCl and 30mg Azaperone. While drowsy, the giraffe was manually helped to lateral recumbency with the use of ropes.

The giraffe demonstrated good body condition. However, both left and right hind legs had injuries due to the cable hanging from the neck. Hydrogen peroxide was used to debride the dead tissue of the snare-wound.

Topical irrigation with iodine disinfected the wound and cleaned the loose tissue debris. Systemic treatment with 50 ml Amoxicillin (Betamox LAÂŽ) protected against secondary bacterial infection while Calvasone 20ml administered through the intramuscular route covered for pain and inflammatory reactions. Topical application with Oxy-tetracycline spray protected against fly strike.

Prognosis Prognosis was good despite the deformed fetlock joint, which the animal can live with.

Case 3 – 10th May 2019 Elephant

Post-mortem

Amboseli Environs

KWS rangers at Kitirua reported the dead elephant to AMVU on 10 May 2019.

Examination and Findings General Observations: The carcass was found lying on sternal position in a sandy riverbed. The elephant looked emaciated. No fluid exudates were observed from the external orifices apart from signs of urine production during or after death. No evidence of a pre-death struggle was observed.

External examination: The elephant carcass demonstrated poor body condition before death. The carcass was relatively fresh with minimal decomposition. External parasites scantly found, with few ticks collected.

The number of ticks found was normal for such a wild animal.

Internal examination: A lateral incision helped open the carcass to examine the abdominal organs.

Examination did not show any major anomaly of concern. However, level of autolysis and intensity of available daylight hampered observation of significant pathological lesions.

Cause of Death Non-conclusive. But, sternal recumbency could have acccelerated the cause after an assumed form of exhaustion. The cause would be more natural than any other.

Case 4– 19th May 2019 Elephant

Snared

Ithumba, Tsavo East National Park

A male elephant with a snare reported to AMVU on 19 May 2019.

Tracking The elephant could not be located even after a lengthy aerial search using the SWT helicopter. During the search, 85 elephants were found in the area, but they were healthy and none had a wound or snare.

Prognosis The teams will continue to monitor for any signs of the animal and report back.

There are no photographs for this case.

Case 5 – 20th May 2019 Elephant

Natural Causes

Mbirikani

Big life rangers reported a sick elephant at Imbirikani on 20 May 2019.

Examination and Findings The elephant was emaciated. Despite limited movement, the female elephant fed well and adequately.

Additionally, the elephant demonstrated signs of being in calf so darting for further examination was not possible as it would worsen the situation. Monitoring was prescribed for further observation of other differential conditions that could have led to such emaciation.

Case 6 – 26th May 2019 Zebra

Natural Causes

Amboseli National Park

This stallion was reported to be inactive and presented with reduced mobility.

Immobilisation, examination and treatment The zebra was captured chemically using 4mg Etorphine HCl and 100mg Azaperone. It went down in about 7 minutes and was placed on lateral recumbency for ease of treatment.

The zebra demonstrated a fair body score. The right fore limb had a joint dislocation and tenderness of the muscles around the joint. It was treated systemically with antibiotics, 20ml of Amoxicillin (Betamox LAÂŽ), and 15ml Flunixin meglumin was given to against pain.

Prognosis The prognosis is fair though the zebra is highly prone to predation.

Case 7 – 28th May 2019 Elephant

Poaching Post-Mortem

Tsavo West National Park

Dr Poghon reported the male elephant to AMVU on the night of 27 May 2019. The bull found dead at Tsavo West National Park was examined for cause of death on 28 May 2019.

Examination and Findings General finding: The male elephant demonstrated fair body condition. A few ticks were observed moving over the carcass and collected. High number of flies and maggots present and active.

Gross findings: The carcass fully autolysed and decomposed. Internal soft tissues fully destroyed by bacterial activity. Gases and liquids maximally produced and wetted the area around the carcass. The liquid fluid thoroughly soaked in soil and foams filled the ground next to the carcass and produced fluids.

The trunk was truncated and was at a distance from the carcass. The tusks were missing. The trunk tissue was maggot eaten and left dry and with neither tissue nor worms. Two wounds present on the lateral body surface. The upper wound about 1ft long and intestinal contents protruding from the orifice. The lower wound 2 inches but shallow on inserting the knife tip. The actual pre -mortem status of the injury unclear due to maggot invasion.

Larvae (maggots) found on carcass body fully grown and penetrated out of the abdominal wall. The carcass internal organs converted into a considerable fly larvae biomass. The carcass relatively deflated, and weight decreased in relation to the volume set by the structural bones.

Scavenging activity absent or very little as observed on the carcasses.

Decay odours maximally produced and heavily felt. Fully-grown larvae active on the body. Blow or flesh flies found on the carcass. However, houseflies also seen on the carcass. Following the logic of history and entomological succession on a carcass after death, it is estimated that the carcass was 4 - 7 days old.

Internal findings: A lateral incision opened the carcass, internal organs exteriorized and observed as follows, • • • • •

Skin dry and hard to cut. The sub cutis and external muscle layers of the neck, chest, and abdomen looked cooked in appearance.

Abdominal cavity macroscopic observations, Peritoneum had fecal material on and between organs.

Spleen autolyzed and decomposed.

Liver autolyzed and decomposed.

• • •

Stomach externalized and opened. A large amount of feed contents still within the stomach.

Intestinal lumen filled with feed and gaseous content.

Thoracic cavity: Pericardial sac had bloody contents. Lungs markedly bloody and decomposed

Cause of death Non-conclusive. Available carcass remains autolyzed, decomposed and deficient of logical pathology to explain a definite cause of death. However, the wounds on the carcass and missing tusks is evident of a poaching related cause or any other form of human interference.

Other Activities – Disease Surveillance Sampling Skin Odours were collected from five buffaloes, five waterbuck, five warthogs and five zebras. Buffaloes, zebras and waterbuck were restrained using chemical immobilization while warthogs were captured physically using a net.

The odours will be analysed for presence of aldehydes and ketones that regulate the attraction and expulsion of tsetse flies and other biting flies. The study seeks to explain the ecology of trypanosomiasis in wildlife and livestock. The output (Information) will assist control and management of the disease.

Report by Dr Kariuki Edward