SWT/KWS TSAVO MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT
JUNE 2024
13 Cases in June
June Report by Dr. Campaign Limo
1 Lion Case
The Tsavo Conservation Area received low precipitation in June. However, some water pans are still full and both grazers and browsers have enough forage.
The SWT/KWS Tsavo Mobile Veterinary Unit attended to 13 cases. 9 of these cases involved elephant bulls of varying ages. 3 of these elephant bulls had spear wounds, 4 had injuries attributed to natural causes, and 2 were postmortem cases Among the elephants attended to were 2 elephant orphans and 1 ex-orphan. At the Kaluku Nursery, the team treated an ill elephant orphan that was diagnosed with bacterial/ viral enteritis while at the Voi Elephant Reintegration Centre, they treated Ndotto who suffered a wound on the right flank after a tussle at the mud bath. The veterinary team also treated an ex-orphan named Chemichemi at the Ithumba Elephant Reintegration Centre who returned to the stockades, after being in the wild for a while, bearing a spear wound on the left hip area Thankfully, all the orphans were successfully treated, and have since recovered or healed. The team also rushed to attend to an adult male lion in Dakota that was reported to be recumbent and breathing shallowly. Unfortunately, the lion passed on before treatment could be administered. The post-mortem revealed that the lion had swallowed a porcupine quill leading to acute gastritis and hypoglycemic shock. Lastly, the team successfully de-snared and successfully treated a Masai giraffe and 2 common zebras in separate cases over the reporting period.
Acknowledgement
The Tsavo Mobile Veterinary Unit appreciates all the stakeholders who supported this month’s interventions including the monitoring and reporting of veterinary cases. The team thanks Kenya Wildlife Service management for providing technical support and The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust for funding the Tsavo Mobile Veterinary Unit.
Date
Species
8-Jun-24 Elephant Galana Conservancy Spear Recumbent adult elephant bull with a wound on the left hindlimb Poaching death
8-Jun-24 Zebra Ndii area Snared Adult female common zebra with a plastic snare around the neck Successfully treated
10-Jun-24 Elephant Kaluku Stockades
13-Jun-24 Lion Dakota
Natural causes Male elephant calf at the Kaluku stockades with diarrhoea and anorexia
Successfully treated
Natural causes Recumbent adult male lion that was unresponsive and breathing shallowly Died. Hypoglycemic shock
15-Jun-24 Giraffe Rukinga Ranch Snared Adult male Masai giraffe with a wire snare around the neck Successfully treated
15-Jun-24 Zebra Rukinga Ranch Snared Adult male common zebra with a snare around the neck Successfully treated
19-Jun-24 Elephant Voi Stockades
Natural causes A sub-adult elephant bull, named Ndotto, had a fight wound on the right flank
19-Jun-24 Elephant Ithumba Spear
23-Jun-24 Elephant Tsavo East N.P.
Successfully treated
Adult elephant bull with a deep spear wound on the right rump Successfully treated
Natural causes Limping adult elephant bull with a swollen right hindlimb Prognosis poor
23-Jun-24 Elephant Ithumba Spear Young elephant bull named Chemichemi with a deep spear wound in the hip area Successfully treated
29-Jun-24 Elephant Kishushe Postmortem
29-Jun-24 Elephant Tsavo West N.P. Postmortem
30-Jun-24 Elephant Ziwani Area
Autopsy on the carcass of an adult elephant bull found in Kishushe Died. Hypovolemic shock
Autopsy on the carcass of a sub-adult elephant bull found in the Severin area
Died. Undetermined
Natural causes Limping adult elephant bull with a wound at the right upper thigh and gluteal area Prognosis poor
June 2024
Elephant Spear
Galana Conservancy
This adult elephant bull was seen on lateral recumbency by the SWT/ KWS rangers on patrol within Galana Conservancy. He had a wound on his left hindlimb. The SWT/KWS Tsavo Mobile Veterinary Unit was airlifted to the site to attend to the elephant, but sadly the bull died before treatment could be administered.
Post-mortem findings
The affected limb was swollen, and it had a wound on the anterior surface that was oozing pus. Additionally, granulation tissue had formed on the wound. Upon opening the wound site, pus enclosed with bone fracture fragments was found. There was a split fracture on the distal diaphysis of the tibia with complete dislocation of the tibio-tarsal joint. This was believed to have most likely been caused by a spear blow to the bone and subsequent joint dissolution from infection.
Cause of death
The elephant died from septic shock due to the severely infected wound.
Zebra Snared Ndii Area
An adult female common zebra with a snare around its head and neck was reported in Ndii area along Nairobi-Mombasa highway by a SWT/KWS De-snaring Team.
Immobilisation, examination and treatment
The animal was darted from a vehicle and immobilized with a combination of 7 mg Etorphine hydrochloride and 60 mg Azaperone. It took 6 minutes for the drugs to take effect.
A plastic snare was tightly bound around the zebra’s head and the neck. The snare was cut loose with a knife then anaesthesia was reversed with 100 mg Naltrexone hydrochloride delivered intravenously via the jugular vein. The zebra stood and dashed away 2 minutes later.
Prognosis
The zebra has a good prognosis.
Elephant
Natural Causes
Kaluku Stockades
A male elephant calf at the Kaluku Nursery was reported to have diarrhoea, twitching eyelids, and anorexia. Immobilisation, examination and treatment
The calf was in fair body condition with a rectal temperature of 37.0 ᵒC. He was anorectic. The diarrhoea was foamy, frequent but of small quantities. This had ultimately led to dehydration as a result of fluid loss.
The reported twitching of eyelids was suspected to have been due to electrolyte loss. He was diagnosed with bacterial/viral enteritis. Fluid therapy was administered to restore electrolytes lost due to the diarrhoea. Balanced preparation Ringer lactate was given intravenously. Additionally, potentiated Sulphonamides antibiotics were given orally.
Prognosis
The elephant calf has a good prognosis.
Lion
Natural Causes Dakota
An adult male lion was found in lateral recumbency by the KWS/Tsavo trust teams on patrol in Dakota area. The lion was unresponsive and breathing shallowly. The SWT/KWS Tsavo Mobile Veterinary Unit was informed and responded immediately. Unfortunately, the lion died before the team arrived.
Post-mortem findings
The lion was in good body condition before it died (4 in a scale of 1-5 where 1 is poor and 5 good). There was a small, shallow septic wound on the left calcaneus. The lion had remained on lateral recumbency for a prolonged period before death. This had resulted in hypostatic congestion of the right lung. The stomach contained no food, only a little plant material (grass) and an intact porcupine quill found in-situ. The mucosa of the stomach was haemorrhagic as a result irritation by the porcupine quill. The small intestines were empty with mild inflammation. The rectum contained faecal balls of normal consistency. The lion suffered acute gastritis caused by ingesting the foreign body (porcupine quill)
Cause of death
The lion died from hypoglycemic shock.
Giraffe Snared
Rukinga Ranch
Rangers in Rukinga Ranch spotted an adult male Masai giraffe with a wire snare around his neck.
Immobilisation, examination and treatment
The giraffe was darted from a helicopter and successfully immobilized with a combination of 14 mg Etorphine hydrochloride and 60 mg Azaperone. It took 9 minutes for the drugs to take effect.
Examination revealed a winch wire loosely bound around the neck of the giraffe. Luckily, the wire snare had not inflicted any injuries on the animal’s neck. The wire snare was cut loose with wire cutters and anaesthesia reversed with 150 mg Naltrexone hydrochloride given intravenously via the jugular vein. The giraffe stood and hastily walked away 4 minutes later.
Prognosis
The giraffe has a good prognosis.
Zebra Snared
Rukinga Ranch
An adult male common zebra in Rukinga Ranch was seen with a snare that had inflicted a deep wound on the neck.
Immobilisation, examination and treatment
The zebra was successfully immobilized with a combination of 7 mg Etorphine hydrochloride and 60 mg Azaperone hydrochloride delivered remotely in a 3cc Dan-inject dart. The animal was darted from the helicopter, and it took 8 minutes for the drugs to take effect.
Examination revealed the tight winch wire had injured the zebra’s neck. The snare was cut loose with wire cutters and removed. The wound was then cleaned with water, flushed with Hydrogen peroxide, rinsed with water, and infused with tincture of Iodine. Topical antibiotic spray was thereafter applied on the wound. Anaesthesia was reversed with 100 mg Naltrexone hydrochloride given intravenously via the jugular vein. The zebra stood and dashed away 3 minutes later.
Prognosis
The zebra stallion has a good prognosis.
Case
Elephant Natural Causes
Voi Stockades
Keepers at the Voi stockades noticed that Ndotto, a sub-adult orphan elephant bull, had an injury on the right flank after a day at the mud bath.
Immobilisation, examination and treatment
Ndotto was approached on foot and darted with 11 mg Etorphine hydrochloride delivered in a 1.5cc Daninject dart. It took 7 minutes for the drugs to take effect.
Examination revealed a septic wound on his right dorsal flank. This had resulted from contamination of a fight wound. The wound was thoroughly cleaned and devitalized tissues removed, it was thereafter flushed with Hydrogen peroxide, rinsed with water, infused with tincture of Iodine and packed with green clay. Topical antibiotic was then applied on the wound. He also received shots of Amoxicillin antibiotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication parenterally. Anaesthesia was reversed with 150mg Naltrexone hydrochloride given intravenously via a prominent ear vein. He stood 3 minutes later and joined the rest of the orphans at the mud bath.
Prognosis
Ndotto has a good prognosis
Elephant Spear Ithumba
This injured adult elephant bull was spotted by a SWT/KWS De-snaring Unit around Ithumba, he had a swelling on his right rump area that was oozing pus.
Immobilisation, examination and treatment
The elephant bull was immobilized with 20 mg Etorphine hydrochloride delivered in a 3 cc Dan-inject dart He was darted from a helicopter, and it took 8 minutes for the drugs to take effect. Examination revealed a deep spear wound on the right rump that was oozing pus. The wound was thoroughly cleaned with clean water and all devitalized tissues and pus removed. It was then flushed with Hydrogen peroxide, rinsed with water, infused with tincture of Iodine, packed with antibiotic pessaries, and antibiotic spray applied topically on the wound. Shots of Amoxicillin antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication were administered parenterally before anaesthesia was reversed with 2,000 mg Naltrexone hydrochloride given intravenously via a prominent ear vein. The elephant bull stood and walked away 3 minutes later.
Prognosis
The elephant bull has a good prognosis
Elephant
Natural Causes
Tsavo East National Park
This injured adult elephant bull was seen around pipeline area by visitors, he was limping and his right hindlimb was swollen.
Immobilisation, examination and treatment
The elephant bull was darted from a vehicle and immobilized with 20 mg Etorphine hydrochloride delivered remotely through a 3cc Dan-inject dart. The drugs took effect after 7 minutes.
Examination revealed extensive ulceration on the lateral surface of his left foot. This was an ulcerated fibroma that had a small septic wound at its centre The wound was cleaned with water, devitalized tissues and pus removed then the ulceration was flushed with Hydrogen peroxide, infused with tincture of Iodine and sprayed topically with an antibiotic spray. Additionally, antibiotics and anti-inflammatories were given parenterally before anaesthesia was reversed with 200mg Naltrexone hydrochloride given intravenously through a prominent ear vein. The elephant bull stood with ease and slowly walked away 3 minutes later.
Prognosis
The elephant bull has a guarded prognosis.
Elephant Spear Ithumba
Chemichemi, an ex-orphan elephant bull, returned to the Ithumba Re-integration Unit, after being in the wild for a while, bearing a spear wound on his left hip area.
Immobilisation, examination and treatment
The young bull was approached on foot and darted with 11 mg Etorphine hydrochloride delivered in a 1.5 cc Dan inject dart. It took 6 minutes for the drug to take effect
Examination revealed a dorso-ventral deep spear wound in the hip area that was oozing pus. The wound was cleaned with clean water, flushed with Hydrogen peroxide, and infused with tincture of Iodine. Thereafter, the wound was infused with antibiotic cream, packed with green clay and antibiotic spray applied topically. Shots of Amoxicillin antibiotics and Flunixin anti-inflammatories were also administered parenterally before anaesthesia was reversed with 150mg Naltrexone hydrochloride given intravenously via a prominent ear vein.
Prognosis
Chemichemi has a good prognosis.
Elephant
Post-mortem Kishushe
An adult elephant bull carcass was found by SWT/KWS rangers on patrol in Kishushe.
Post-mortem findings
The carcass was less than 24-hours-old. Both tusks were intact, they were removed and handed over to the KWS team in the area for custody. The carcass had an arrow wound on the pinnae of the left ear. There was a closed complete comminuted fracture of the humerus on the left foot. There was severe internal haemorrhage at the fracture site.
Cause of death
The elephant bull died from hypovolemia arising from blood loss due to severe internal bleeding.
There are no pictures available for this case.
The carcass of a sub-adult elephant bull was found by KWS team on patrol in Severin area, Tsavo West National Park. The SWT/KWS Tsavo Mobile Veterinary Unit was requested to perform a post-mortem to determine the possible cause of death.
Immobilisation, examination and treatment
The carcass was approx. 1 week old. It was found in lateral recumbency and had been severely scavenged. Both tusks were intact, they were retrieved by KWS security team in the area for accounting and custody. The carcass was in advanced stages of autolysis.
Cause of death
The cause of death could not be determined due to the advanced stage of autolysis and scavenging
Area, Tsavo West N.P.
Elephant Natural Causes
Ziwani Area
This adult elephant bull was sighted by SWT/KWS and Tsavo Trust teams on patrol in Ziwani area. The elephant bull was limping, he also had a wound at the margin of the right upper thigh and the gluteal area.
Immobilisation, examination and treatment
The bull was successfully darted from a vehicle and immobilized with 20mg Etorphine hydrochloride delivered in a 3cc Dan-inject dart. It took 7 minutes for the drug to take effect.
Examination revealed a deep fight wound at the margin of the upper thigh and the gluteus of the right hindlimb. The wound was fresh, and a piece of fractured tusk was found deep in the wound. Additionally, he had smaller wounds at the base of the trunk and the perineal region. All the wounds were cleaned with water, flushed with Hydrogen peroxide, rinsed with water and infused with tincture of Iodine. The wounds were then packed with green clay and topical antibiotic spray applied. Amoxicillin antibiotics and Flunixin anti-inflammatory medication were administered parenterally.
Prognosis
Anaesthesia was reversed and he stood after 5 minutes and slowly walked away. The elephant bull has a guarded prognosis
