SWT/KWS AMBOSELI MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT
MAY 2023
Introduction
6 Cases in May 3 HWC Cases 4 Elephant Cases
May Report by Dr. Kariuki Edward and Dr. Mukami Ruoro
The Amboseli Mobile Veterinary Unit attended to 6 cases in May 2023 involved 4 elephants and 2 lions. This included the examination of two young lame elephants in Amboseli National Park, an autopsy on an elephant cow carcass found in KALRO, and the planned translocation of 2 elephant bulls that were eventually collared and released for further monitoring. One lion was also relocated due to livestock predation, whilst another was speared following livestock predation and sadly did not survive.
Acknowledgement
The Amboseli Mobile Veterinary Unit greatly appreciates the support and funding it has received from the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Staff and rangers that participated in the interventions undertaken over the month are acknowledged for their support and company. Anyone that may not have been mentioned but supported the monitoring of distressed wildlife in areas of interest is highly acknowledged and appreciated.
Case Details
Lion Human-Wildlife Conflict
Amboseli Ecosystem
A report was received of a male Lion who had been livestock raiding in Imbirikani, he had taken over 12 goats and was hiding out in the area. The lion was tracked and then monitored until the vet team arrived.
Immobilisation
The lion was hiding in a large thicket of bush He was very skittish and kept moving from bush to bush. He was darted with a Dan inject® rifle using a 3ml Dan inject dart loaded with 300mg Ketamine and 4mg Medetomidine, and after 15 mins he pretended to go down but began running again. This necessitated him being darted again, he finally went down in 10 minutes The lion was in good body condition and had no visible wounds. He had a few ticks which were collected as specimens. The research scientists recorded the morphometrics
Translocation
The lion was carefully loaded into a lion cage that was on a Landcruiser and the anaesthesia was reversed using Atipamezole 5mg intramuscularly 35 minutes after the induction of anaesthesia. He was translocated to Tsavo East National Park and safely released at the Lugard area
Lion Human-Wildlife Conflict Amboseli Ecosystem
A report was received of a male lion who had been livestock raiding in the Chyulu area, he had been found with a goat and speared then he ran away. The lion was tracked and monitored until the vet team arrived.
Immobilisation, examination and treatment
The lion was hiding in a large thicket of bush .He was darted with a Dan inject rifle using a 3ml Dan inject dart using 300mg Ketamine and 4 mg Medetomidine and he went down in 20 minutes. A top up of 100mg of Ketamine was done after 30 minutes.
The lion was in good body condition and had a wound about 5 inches in length on his left side at the level of the thorax. The wound went into the thoracic cavity had caused a tension pneumothorax, he was having labored breathing and air was escaping through the wound. The surgical site was extended and the wound was then closed in 3 layers. He unfortunately died as the last skin suture was being applied. We then rolled him over and observed another wound, about 2 inches in size, the wound extended all the way inside the body wall and the abdominal cavity. It was evident that the animal had been speared at close range and the spear had gone through and through
Elephant Natural Causes Amboseli Ecosystem
A report was received from the Amboseli park management of a young elephant who was limping
Immobilisation, examination and treatment
The calf was in the company of his mother and his mother’s sister. The larger matriarch was driven away from the dam and calf. The dam was then immobilized using 15mg of Etorphine via 3cc dart delivered by a Dan –inject gun Anaesthesia was reversed using Naltrexone 300mg intravenously 5 minutes after the induction of anaesthesia.
The calf was examined, and no visible wound was observed. The calf was lame on the hind left leg, the knee joint was felt to be stiff , and when the knee joint and the femur were manipulated, it elicited pain. He was administered with 600mg of Phenylbutazone and 4ml of Vitamin E/Selenium.
Prognosis
Close observation and follow up was recommended but he should make a full recovery.
Elephant Natural Causes Amboseli National Park
The Amboseli Mobile Veterinary Unit was informed about a lame male elephant calf seen in Amboseli National Park.
Immobilisation and examination
The calf was found beside its mother. To facilitate examination of the calf, the mother was darted and immobilized with 18 mg Etorphine. The calf was manually restrained then the lame limb was examined by deep palpitation. No fracture was found, and deep palpation did not seem to elicit any pain. According to the Vet’s assessment, the lameness was possibly congenital, or it could have been caused by a soft tissue injury The calf was released then its mother was revived. They were re-united once the mother regained consciousness. The mother stood a short while later then they walked away together.
Prognosis
The elephant calf has a good prognosis.
Elephant Post-mortem KALRO
KWS management at Chyulu Hills National Park reported an adult female elephant carcass found in KALRO. The Amboseli Mobile Veterinary Unit was requested to carry out an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
Post-mortem findings
The carcass was found lying in right lateral recumbency. Both tusks were present. The ventral part of the carcass had been opened and predated upon. The skin was broken on the left lateral side and ripped off. The intestines had been removed and were partly protruding from the carcass and decomposed. No pathological lesions could be established on the removed and predated upon organs.
Cause of death
The cause of death could not be conclusively established, but the elephant cow most likely died from a natural disease.
Elephant HWC - Relocation Satao Elerai, Malindi Area
KWS senior management approved the translocation of 2 elephant bulls that were known notorious fence breakers and crop raiders. A team comprising capture personnel was constituted with the objective of moving the bulls to Tsavo East National Park. The translocation exercise was planned for 29/05/2023.
Immobilisation and collaring
The bulls were found in the forested hills of Satao Elerai in Malindi Area. The 1st bull was approx. 31 years old while the 2nd bull was approx. 33 years old. The bulls were darted from a KWS helicopter, one after the other, and successfully immobilized with 18 mg Etorphine each. The 1st bull had 2 pus discharging wounds that were suspected to have been inflicted by a spear. The wounds were treated then the animal’s height at shoulder level was measured and found to be 295 cm relative to the translocation container that was 310 cm. The 2nd bull was approximately the same height at shoulder level, but it was comparatively slender. The bulls were moved to the loading site near the Kimana – Amboseli tarmac road, and both animals were collared for monitoring after translocation. They were then revived for loading into standard translocation crates. Unfortunately, neither could fit into the crates in a standing position. This was one of the few times that this has happened since elephants in Amboseli are rarely translocated. The Amboseli elephants have over time attained massive sizes that are more adapted to the Amboseli ecosystem. Given that the Amboseli elephant population has suffered relatively less poaching over the years, the huge tuskers that once roamed this landscape are thought to have propagated their genes into the elephants we see today.
Conclusion
The translocation of the 2 problematic elephant bulls was not successful, the collared bulls were released in the same area and their movement data will be used to support problem animal control efforts. Both Big Life Foundation and KWS PAC teams were advised to closely monitor the elephants and relay the records for further management action.
