SWT/KWS TSAVO MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT SEPTEMBER 2023
Introduction
12 Cases in September
5 Poaching Cases
8 Elephant Cases
September Report by Dr. Campaign Limo Dry weather prevailed over the Tsavo Conservation Area at the beginning of September. However, towards the end of the month, there were signs of impending rain, and in some areas, there were showers. The Tsavo Mobile Veterinary Unit (TMVU) attended to 12 cases in September. These included 8 elephant cases, 1 rhino translocation, 1 lion treatment case, 1 hyena treatment case, and 1 lesser kudu post-mortem case. 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.
Case Details Date
Species
Area Found
10-Sep 23
Elephant
Kaluku Area
12-Sep 23
Elephant
13-Sep 23
Reason for Intervention
Outcome
Snared
40-45-year-old elephant bull with a cable wire snare on the left front limb
Successfully treated
Taita Hills Sanctuary
Postmortem
17-20-year-old elephant bull carcass found in Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary
Died. Acute Peritonitis
Rhino
Kaluku Stockades
Relocation
Relocating Apollo, an orphan black rhino, to the Tsavo East N.P. Rhino Base
Task successful
14-Sep 23
Elephant
Hildana Lodge, Taita
Spear
40–45-year-old elephant bull with a spear wound on the right front limb
Successfully treated
20-Sep 23
Hyena
Kasigau Taita
HWC
3-4-year-old ill male spotted hyena seen in Kasigau Ranch
Prognosis Poor
21-Sep 23
Elephant
Kishushe, Tsavo West
Natural Causes
35–40-year-old elephant bull limping on a swollen right hind limb
Prognosis Poor
22-Sep 23
Kudu
TMVU Offices
HWC
Post-mortem on an adult male lesser kudu carcass seen in a vehicle in Voi town
HWC Death
23-Sep 23
Elephant
Taita Sisal Ranch
Arrow
45-50-year-old elephant bull with 3 arrow wounds
Successfully treated
27-Sep 23
Elephant
Ngulia, Tsavo West
Relocation
Translocation of a problematic 30-35-yearold elephant bull to Ithumba
Task successful
27-Sep 23
Elephant
Kamboyo, Tsavo West
Arrow
35-40-year-old elephant bull with a pus oozing wound on the right thigh
Successfully treated
28-Sep 23
Lion
Pipeline, Tsavo East
Natural Causes
6-7-year-old adult male lion with multiple fight wounds inflicted by a rival
Successfully treated
29-Sep 23
Elephant
Selenkeit, Amboseli
Spear
40-45-year-old elephant bull with multiple spear wounds on both limbs
Successfully treated
SWT/KWS Tsavo Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations September 2023
Case 1 – 10th September 2023 Elephant
Snared
Kaluku Area
A SWT pilot spotted this injured adult male elephant bull. Immobilisation, examination and treatment The 40-45-year-old elephant bull was found alone close to the Athi-Galana River. He had a deep wound around his left forelimb below the carpus. The bull was darted from a helicopter with 20 mgs Etorphine hydrochloride and was fully immobilized in 9 minutes. Examination revealed a cable snare around his left forelimb just below the carpus joint. The snare was cut loose with wire cutters and removed. Damaged devitalized tissues were surgically exercised then the wound was debrided with Hydrogen peroxide, rinsed with water, disinfected with Iodine, and packed with green clay. Topical antibiotic spray was also applied on the wound then long-acting Amoxicillin antibiotics and Flunixin meglumine anti-inflammatories were administered intramuscularly. Anaesthesia was reversed and the bull stood 3 minutes post-reversal and walked into the bush. Prognosis The elephant bull has a good prognosis.
Case 2 – 12th September 2023 Elephant
Post-mortem
Taita Hills Wildlife Conservancy
A patrol team found a sub-adult elephant bull carcass and notified KWS management. Both tusks were intact. The veterinary unit was requested to perform an autopsy to establish the cause of death. General post-mortem findings The elephant carcass was found on right lateral recumbency. Both tusks had been removed for safe custody by management. There were no signs of significant struggle before death at the scene. The elephant appeared to have been in good body condition before death with a body score of 4 in a scale of 1-5 where 1 is poor and 5 good. A wound made by a sharp object that pierced the mid left ear was observed. The wound seemed to have been inflicted before the animal died. The carcass was moderately bloated. No other injury as evident externally. Significant post-mortem findings Upon opening the carcass, the muscle cover was found to be adequate which indicated that the elephant was in good condition. There was accumulation of red tinged fluid in the abdominal cavity. There was excessive accumulation of gas within both small and large intestines with ingesta. There was a severe strangulating intestinal lesion. Severe peritonitis was evident. Ingesta was observed in the peritoneal cavity. There were 2 intestinal perforations at the terminal ileum and ascending colon. The stomach had relatively freshly ingested food. The caecum appeared ballooned with excessive gas accumulation. There were signs of caecal volvulus. No other abnormality was seen grossly. Cause of death This young elephant bull died from complications associated with acute caecal volvulus. This led to bowel obstruction and necrosis which caused part of the intestinal tissue death resulting in perforation of the intestinal wall. The elephant died of acute peritonitis.
Unfortunately, there are no pictures for this case.
Case 3 – 13th September 2023 Rhino
Relocation
Kaluku Stockades
Apollo, a 4-year-old black rhino orphan, had outgrown the stockade facilities at Kaluku. He was therefore relocated to the newly established Rhino Base Reintegration Centre in Tsavo East National Park with assistance from the Tsavo Mobile Veterinary Unit. Immobilization, translocation and transmitter fitting Apollo was in good body condition with a score of 4 out of 5 where 1 is poor and 5 is good. The team decided to use a mild tranquilizer, guide him into the translocation crate and anaesthetise him on arrival at Rhino Base for transmitter placement. He was darted with 60 mgs Azaperone and guided into the crate. The crate was closed and hoisted by crane onto the bed of a lorry. Upon arrival, he was offloaded into a boma and immobilized with 4 mg Etorphine and 40 mgs Azaperone. Transmitters were fixed into both front and rear horns. An injection was administered subcutaneously to control external and internal parasites then anaesthesia was reversed with 24 mg Diprenorphine hydrochloride given intramuscularly and 50 mg Naltrexone given through a prominent ear vein. Apollo was left in his new boma. He woke up 2 minutes post-reversal.
Case 4 – 14th September 2023 Elephant
Spear
Hildana Lodge
The Taita Sisal Ranch patrol team sighted a limping adult elephant bull at the Hildana Lodge water hole. The elephant had a wound on the lateral side of the right front limb just above the elbow joint. Immobilisation, examination and treatment The 40-45-year-old injured elephant bull was found within a bachelor herd. He was darted from a vehicle with 20 mgs Etorphine and was fully anaesthetized after 8 minutes. Upon closer examination, a deep spear wound (approx. 10 cm deep) was observed on the medial side of the front right limb proximal to the elbow joint. The wound was communicating with another wound on the lateral side. The wounds were treated by surgically excising damaged devitalized muscle tissues, they were flushed with Hydrogen peroxide in a 20 ml syringe, rinsed with water, infused with Iodine, sprayed with a topical antibiotic, and left open for drainage. 30,000 mg long-acting Amoxicillin antibiotics and 5,000 mg Flunixin meglumine anti-inflammatories were given intramuscularly. Anaesthesia was reversed with 200 mg Naltrexone given intravenously through a prominent ear vein. The elephant bull stood 3 minutes post-reversal and walked towards the bachelor herd. Prognosis The elephant bull has a good prognosis.
Case 5 – 20th September 2023 Hyena
Human – Wildlife Conflict
Kasigau Ranch
An ill adult male spotted hyena was seen in Kasigau Ranch by a KWS patrol team. The team also came across 2 hyena carcasses by the roadside. They suspected that the animals died after eating a poisoned cow carcass. Immobilisation, examination and treatment The 4-5-year-old hyena was found in a bushy area near a dry waterhole. He was coaxed to stand and staggered away. The hyena was darted from a vehicle with 2mg Etorphine hydrochloride and 1mg Medetomidine and was fully anaesthetized after 5 minutes. The vet suspected that the hyena had been poisoned. Therefore, the team took vomit samples for analysis. 6mgs Atropine sulphate antidote was administered, half the dose was given intravenously while the other half was given intramuscularly. Longacting Amoxicillin antibiotics and Dexamethasone anti-inflammatories were given intramuscularly. Ivermectin was also administered subcutaneously for internal and external parasitic control. Anaesthesia was reversed with 25 mg Naltrexone given intravenously and 5 mg Atipamezole given intramuscularly. The hyena stood 4 minutes post-reversal. He staggered away into a thicket. A team was tasked to monitor his progress, and after 2 days they reported that he had tremendously improved. Prognosis The hyena has a guarded prognosis.
Case 6 – 21st September 2023 Elephant
Natural Causes
Kishushe, Tsavo West
The KWS/Tsavo Trust patrol team sighted a limping adult elephant bull that was reluctant to move. The bull had a swollen right hind quarter and had a wound on the ventral side of the same limb. Immobilisation, examination and treatment The 35-40-year-old elephant bull was found alone limping on the right hind limb with a swelling near the tarsus. He was approached on foot and darted with 20 mgs Etorphine. Upon closer examination, a hard mass /swelling was observed on an old wound that was oozing some pus and blood. Tissue reaction was evident in the area as indicated by the swelling around the tarsus. The vet suspected that it was pyogenic granuloma from an old wound. The left hind limb’s sole had pressure sores as the elephant preferred putting weight on it as he preserved the right limb. Damaged devitalized tissues were surgically excised on all the wounds then they were flushed with Hydrogen peroxide, rinsed with water, and infused with Iodine and antibiotic boluses. 30,000 mg long-acting Amoxicillin antibiotics and 5,000 mg Flunixin meglumine anti-inflammatories were given intramuscularly before anaesthesia was reversed with 250 mg Naltrexone given intravenously through a prominent ear vein. The elephant bull stood 3 minutes post-reversal and walked deeper into the bush. Prognosis The elephant bull has a guarded prognosis.
Case 7 – 22nd September 2023 Lesser Kudu
Human – Wildlife Conflict
TMVU Offices
An adult male lesser kudu carcass was seen in a vehicle in Voi Town by a Wildlife Works and KWS patrol team. The suspect was put in custody and the Veterinary Unit was requested to establish the cause of the kudu’s death. General post-mortem findings The postmortem was conducted at the Tsavo Mobile Veterinary Unit (TMVU) offices. The lesser kudu appeared to have been in good body condition before death with a body score of 4 in a scale of 1-5 where 1 is poor and 5 good. Blood was oozing from the animal’s nostrils and mouth and there was a blood stain in the perennial region. A sharp shallow wound that pierced the right gluteus muscle was seen. There were signs of a dislocated neck. No other injury as evident externally. Specific post-mortem findings Upon opening the carcass, the muscle cover was found to be adequate with signs that the Kudu was in good condition. Multiple haemorrhages were evident under the skin mostly on the left side. There was blood accumulation within the thoracic cavity (haemothorax). There were blood clots around the lungs. The neck was dislocated with clear sign of haemorrhages around the mid neck region (cervical dislocation). There were haemorrhages around the left side of the head just below the skin. The brain was haemorrhagic, more on the left side. Cause of death The immediate cause of death for this kudu was subdural haemorrhage from a brain injury. All the injuries were consistent with blunt force trauma most likely caused by a speeding vehicle hitting the animal on the left side.
Unfortunately, there are no pictures for this case.
Case 8 – 23rd September 2023 Elephant
Arrow
Taita Sisal Ranch
The Taita Sisal Ranch patrol team spotted an injured adult elephant bull at the Hildana Lodge water hole. Immobilisation, examination and treatment The 45-50-year-old elephant bull was found in a herd. A wound was visible on the left lateral side, other wounds were also observed on the perineal region and on the right thigh. The bull was darted from a vehicle and immobilized with 20 mgs Etorphine. It took 11 minutes for the anaesthetic drug to take full effect. Closer examination revealed a swollen abscessed wound on the right thigh where an arrowhead was retrieved. Another arrow wound was found around the perineal region and another open large arrow wound on the left lateral thoracic region. Damaged devitalized muscle tissues were surgically excised then the wounds were debrided with Hydrogen peroxide, rinsed with water, disinfected with Iodine, and packed with green clay. Topical antibiotic spray was applied on all the wounds. Long-acting Amoxicillin antibiotics and Dexamethasone anti-inflammatories were given intramuscularly before anaesthesia was reversed with 250 mg Naltrexone given through a prominent ear vein. The big old bull woke up after 4 minutes, but he had to be assisted to stand using straps attached to 2 vehicles. Once he was on all fours, he walked into the wild. Prognosis The elephant bull has a good prognosis.
Case 9 – 27th September 2023 Elephant
Relocation
Ngulia Area, Tsavo West N.P.
A 30-35-year-old elephant bull that had been translocated from Laikipia to Tsavo West National Park was reported to be repeatedly breaking the Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary electric fence. A decision was made to relocate the problematic elephant bull to Ithumba in Tsavo East National Park. The Tsavo Mobile Veterinary Unit supported the translocation exercise. Immobilisation and translocation The elephant bull was found roaming alone not far from the Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary. He was easily identified since he had a collar. The bull was darted from a helicopter and immobilized with 20 mg Etorphine. The drugs took effect after 9 minutes. He was then hoisted by crane into a SWT lorry. 100 mg Dexamethasone antiinflammatories was given intravenously. 50 mg Azaperone was also administered intramuscularly while in transit along with 4 top up doses of 2 mg Etorphine. Catosal was administered upon offloading. The elephant was released near a mud bath. Anaesthesia was reversed with 250 mg Naltrexone administered through a prominent ear vein. The bull woke up 3 minutes later. He was unable to stand by himself and was pulled up with a vehicle. The elephant bull eventually mustered enough strength and walked towards the bachelor herd that were nearby.
Case 10 – 27th September 2023 Elephant
Arrow
Kamboyo Area, Tsavo West
During a routine aerial patrol, a SWT pilot spotted an adult elephant bull with a wound on his right thigh. The Tsavo Mobile Veterinary Unit was notified and responded after translocating the elephant bull highlighted under case 9. Immobilisation, examination and treatment The 25-30-year-old elephant bull was found in a thicket with another bull. The injured bull was darted from a helicopter with 20 mgs Etorphine. Upon closer examination, a pus oozing abscess wound was observed. The wound was most likely caused by an arrow. Damaged devitalized muscle tissues were surgically excised, the wound was debrided with Hydrogen peroxide, flushed with water, dried with gauze, infused with Iodine and antibiotic boluses, and left open for drainage. An antibiotic spray was applied topically. 30,000 mg longacting Amoxicillin antibiotics and 5,000 mg Flunixin meglumine anti-inflammatories were administered intramuscularly before anaesthesia was reversed with 200 mg Naltrexone given intravenously through a prominent ear vein. The bull stood 2 minutes post reversal and walked away. Prognosis The elephant bull has a good prognosis.
Case 11 – 28th September 2023 Lion
Natural Causes
Pipeline Area, Tsavo East
Visitors in the park spotted a weak injured adult male lion and informed park management. Immobilisation, examination and treatment The 6-7-year-old lion was found under a bush in the pipeline area. He was coaxed to stand for general examination, and it was noted that he had multiple wounds and was limping on his right hindlimb. The lion was darted from a vehicle with 230 mg Ketamine and 5.2 mg Medetomidine. He was fully anaesthetized after 10 minutes. Closer examination revealed multiple fight wounds most likely inflicted by a rival male. An abscessed wound was observed on the right lateral thigh muscles and 3 septic wounds on the medial aspect of the same limb, one wound was wide and cut deep into the muscles. The abscess was drained then the wounds were flushed with Hydrogen peroxide, disinfected with Iodine, and infused with Cloxacillin antibiotic ointment. The large wide and deep wound was surgically sutured. Long-acting Amoxicillin antibiotics and Dexamethasone anti-inflammatories were given intramuscularly. Anaesthesia was reversed 1 hour after darting with 25 mg Yohimbine. The lion stood 19 minutes post-reversal and walked into the nearby shade. Prognosis The lion has a good prognosis.
Case 12 – 29th September 2023 Elephant
Spear
Selenkei
A BLF patrol team spotted a big elephant bull with multiple wounds on his rear. Immobilisation, examination and treatment The elephant bull was found alone sheltering under a tree. He was darted from a vehicle with 20 mgs Etorphine hydrochloride and was fully immobilized 10 minutes later. Closer examination revealed 13 spear wounds. There were 5 deep communicating maggot infested wounds on his left thigh muscles; 2 wounds on the ventral and lateral aspect of the tarsus of the same limb; 2 septic wounds on the groin region; 1 large wound on the right thigh muscles; a wound on the same right limb just below the knee joint; a wound on the right thoracic region; and another communicating wound on his left ear. Damaged devitalized muscle tissues were surgically excised, the wound was debrided with Hydrogen peroxide, flushed with water, dried with gauze, disinfected with Iodine, and packed with green clay. Long-acting Amoxicillin antibiotics and Flunixin meglumine anti-inflammatories were administered intramuscularly before anaesthesia was reversed with 250 mg Naltrexone given intravenously through a prominent ear vein. The bull stood 2 minutes post reversal and walked away. Prognosis The elephant bull has a favourable prognosis.