SWT/KWS RIFT VALLEY MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT JUNE 2022
successful IntroductionCaseDetails
successfullyTreated 12 June 22 Zebra Aquilla Farm NaturalCauses Septic
Date Species FoundArea Reason for Intervention Outcome 01 June 22 Elephant ConservancyPardamat NaturalCauses Lameness
Died 22 June 22 Buffalo Nini Farm NaturalCauses Ventral
successfullyTreated 28 30 June 22 AntelopeRoan Ruma
Died 20 June 22 Wildebeest SanctuaryFarm Snared
Acknowledgement We
The Northern Conservation Area continued to receive scattered showers in June. 10 Cases were attended to by the Rift Valley Vet Unit this month, 4 cases were poaching related while 2 cases involved elephants. sincerely thank Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT) and FIGS for support, resources & sponsorship. We also acknowledge Angela Sheldrick, Chief Executive Officer SWT, for her unwavering support and interest in the work undertaken by the Mobile Veterinary Unit; Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) for availing personnel and other equipment essential in ensuring the activities we carried out were successful; and Wildlife Research & Training Institute (WRTI) for hosting our team at WRTI. Additionally, we wish to thank the Roan Antelope Monitoring team at Ruma National Park; Mara Elephant Project (MEP) for providing helicopter support during the treatment of an elephant at Pardamat Conservancy; and all the stakeholders and scouts who reported wildlife cases in distress. Thank you all. Cases in June 4 Poaching Cases 2 Elephant Cases due to injuries on the right front limb and right hind limb Arrow Shot with an arrow on the rump. Snared Loose wire snare around the neck. wounds on the front and hind limbs HWC Knocked down by a vehicle. Snare around its neck and hind limb Lying on its side and unable to move after falling into a culvert hernia. Tight nylon snare on its right hind limb N.P. Survey Health assessment of roan antelope in the Park after one was found dead. Task
successfullyTreated 15 June 22 Giraffe Moi LakeSouthRoad
June Report by Dr. Titus Kaitho
successfullyTreated 02 June 22 Elephant Mara ConservancyNorth
successfullyTreated 10 June 22 Impala SanctuaryFarm
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successfullyTreated 21 June 22 Zebra KongoniArea NaturalCauses
Died 23 June 22 Buffalo KedongRanch Snared
SWT/KWS Rift Valley Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations June 2022
Prognosis
The elephant has a favourable prognosis.
The elephant was found in thick bush together with another bull and darted from a helicopter with 18 mg Etorphine. Upon physical examination, it was observed that the elephant exhibiting lameness had suffered injuries on its right front limb and its right hind limb. Its right front limb was also inflamed. These injuries were attributed to a territorial fight.
Case 1 01st June 2022 Elephant Natural Causes Pardamat Conservancy
Mara Elephant Project (MEP) staff reported an elephant bull with injuries on its right front limb and its right hind limb. Immobilisation, examination and treatment
The wounds were cleaned with water and thoroughly rinsed with Iodine. Alamycin was then sprayed to repel flies and 15,000 mg Amoxicillin, 4,000 mg Phenylbutazone and 40 ml Catasol administered intramuscularly. Anaesthesia was thereafter reversed with 72mg Diprenorphine.
The Rift Valley Mobile Veterinary Unit was notified by Mara Elephant Project staff of a 2 year old elephant calf that had been shot with an arrow on the rump.
Prognosis
To avoid separation of mother and calf, both were put under anaesthesia. The calf was darted with 4 mg Etorphine while the matriarch was darted with 18 mg of the same. Mother and calf went down on lateral recumbency near each other. It was observed that the calf had a purulent wound caused by an arrowhead embedded into its rump. The arrowhead was removed then the wound was cleaned with water and lavaged with Iodine. Alamycin fly repellent was sprayed onto the wound followed by an intramuscular administration of 6,000 mg Amoxicillin, 2,000 mg Phenylbutazone and 20 ml Catasol. Anaesthesia was reversed with Diprenorphine, 72mg for the matriarch and 36 mg for the calf, administered both intravenously and intramuscularly.
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Both mother and calf have a good prognosis.
Immobilisation, examination and treatment
Case 02nd June 2022 Elephant Arrow Mara North Conservancy
Sanctuary Farm staff reported seeing an impala with a loose wire snare around its neck. Immobilisation, examination and treatment
The impala was darted with 2.5 mg Etorphine and 10 mg Azaperone The loose wire snare was removed after anaesthesia had taken effect. Further treatment was not necessary since the snare had not caused a wound. Anaesthesia was reversed with 100 mg Naltrexone. The impala has a good prognosis since the snare was detected and removed before it caused any injury.
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Case 4 12th June 2022
Zebra Natural Causes Aquilla Farm
A male zebra with septic wounds on its front and hind leg was reported by the Aquilla Farm security team. The zebra was darted with 5 mg Etorphine and 100 mg Azaperone. The wounds, attributed to territorial fights with a male zebra, were cleaned with water and Iodine the sprayed with Alamycin. 6 ml Ivermectin was administered subcutaneously while 4,500 mg Amoxicillin, 1,000 mg Phenylbutazone and 30 ml Catasol were administered intramuscularly. Reversal was achieved with 24mg Diprenorphine. The Zebra has a favourable prognosis.
Case th 2022 Impala Snared Sanctuary Farm
June
The Mobile Vet Unit was informed of a giraffe that had been knocked down by a vehicle Unfortunately, the giraffe succumbed to its injuries as the veterinary unit arrived at the scene. Green car paint transfer marks on the carcass indicated that the giraffe was hit in the shoulder region. The carcass was transported to Hell’s Gate National Park for safe disposal.
Case 5 15th June 2022
Case 6 th June 2022
Wildebeest Snared Sanctuary Farm
A female wildebeest was reported to have a snare around its neck and hind limb by Sanctuary Farm tour guides. It was darted with 5 mg Etorphine and 30 mg Azaperone The snares were removed and the bruises they had caused cleaned with Iodine and sprayed with Alamycin. Anaesthesia was reversed with 24 mg Diprenorphine. The wildebeest has a good prognosis since the snares were detected and removed before severe injuries were sustained.
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Giraffe Human Wildlife Conflict Moi South Lake Road, Elsamere
The Mobile Vet Unit was informed of a zebra that was lying on its side in a culvert and unable to move Physical examination indicated that the Zebra had suffered a spinal cord injury leading to paralysis of its hind Prognosislimbs.
This case was reported by the Naivasha Sub County Warden. On arrival, it was evident that the sub adult buffalo had a ventral hernia. The buffalo was darted with 6 mg Etorphine and 30 mg Azaperone. Clinical examination revealed that the hernia was irreducible. Part of the herniated bowels had been strangulated by the hernia ring and were necrotic and heavily infected. Prognosis of this case was poor. The female buffalo was therefore put to rest in order to alleviate further pain and suffering.
Zebra Natural Causes Kongoni Area
Case 7 21st June 2022
of this case was poor. The zebra was put to rest with 4,000mg Sodium phenobarbitone administered intravenously in order to alleviate further pain and suffering. Buffalo Natural Causes Nini Farm
Case 8 22nd June 2022
The Rift Valley Mobile Veterinary Unit was informed of a female buffalo with a tight nylon snare on its right hind limb by Ms Ellis who resides in the Ranch.
Immobilisation, examination and treatment
Case 9 23rd June 2022 Bufallo Snared Kedong Ranch
The buffalo has a good prognosis.
The buffalo was found with 2 calves, it was immobilized with 9 mg Etorphine and 50 mg Azaperone and the nylon rope snare removed. The wound caused by the snare was cleaned with water and Iodine then sprayed with Alamycin fly repellent. 12,000 mg Oxytetracycline and 1,000 mg Phenylbutazone were then administered intramuscularly along with 5 ml Ivermectin administered subcutaneously. Anaesthesia was reversed with 72 mg Diprenorphine and the cow reunited with her calves. Prognosis
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The roan antelope was a geriatric case due to the complete absence of incisor and canine teeth on the mandibular arcade. The body condition of the roan antelope was poor as the spine and ribs were very prominent. By inference the roan antelope was not feeding well due to lack of incisor and canine teeth.
Roan Antelope Survey Ruma National Park
Roan Antelopes Monitoring team & Ruma National Park management reported finding a female roan antelope called Jecca dead on 25th June 2022.
Case 10 28th to 30th June 2022
Post-mortem examination
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The Rift Valley Mobile Veterinary Unit was tasked with investigating the cause of death and carrying out a rapid health assessment of the remaining population of 19 animals that are only found in Ruma National Park in Kenya. The carcass that was approximately 10 days old had putrefied and a full examination of the carcass was not possible. However, it was possible to establish that:
▪ Enhance
▪ Increase budgetary
▪ Enhance electric
▪ Increase
▪ Increase camera
▪ Enhancement
▪ Increase the
▪ Acquire
▪ Increase roan
Several recommendations
▪ Expansion
habitat assessment 4 roan antelopes
Vegetation and (3 adults and 1 kid) were spotted during the assessment. The body condition of these animals was fair to good. The antelopes were only seen in the area where grass/vegetation had been burned were made by the assessment team that included the veterinarian and capture rangers, park management, rhino monitoring and security personnel and the roan antelope monitoring team: of grass and vegetation mowing to facilitate monitoring and enhance pasture quality for roan antelope. salts licks from the existing 2 to 5. the number of artificial water points from 2 to 5. monitoring from twice a week to 5 days in a week. staff supervision. allocation for fuel and maintenance. fence monitoring to prevent intrusion of predators of the antelope population in the Roan Sanctuary by translocating 8 topis, 12 impalas and 11 hartebeests. traps from 4 to 10. equipment for monitoring water quality including PH meters and salinometers
