SWT/KWS MT KENYA MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OCTOBER 2019
Introduction
6 Cases in October
2 Poaching Cases
2 Elephant Cases
October Report by Dr. Domnic Mijele During the month of October 2019, the Mt Kenya Wildlife Veterinary unit attended to several wildlife emergency cases that required urgent veterinary intervention in the Laikipia ecosystem and Mt. Kenya region. Some of the veterinary activities attended to included immobilization and treatment of a wounded male reticulated giraffe at Aberdares Country Club Conservancy, post-mortem examination of an adult male elephant in Kieni forest, Aberdares National park, investigation of Canine distemper outbreak in Kalama Wildlife Conservancy, Samburu, rescue of a sub-adult elephant stuck in a deep valley in Oldonyiro Nanapa Conservancy, translocation of a lion predating on rhino calves from Olpejeta to Mutara Wildlife Conservancy, chemical immobilization and treatment of an injured leopard at Mt Kenya Wildlife Conservancy as highlighted in the report below; Acknowledgement We acknowledge and appreciate the support from the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT), KWS and other partners which has enabled the Mt Kenya Veterinary Unit team to respond -9***/promptly and offer medication to all wildlife emergency cases that required veterinary intervention during the month. This made it possible for the team to respond and save many wildlife emergency cases that required urgent veterinary attention.
Case Details Date
Species
Area Found
07-Oct-19
Giraffe
Abedare NP
Reason for Intervention Snared
A large wound on the right front leg, the leg was heavily swollen and inflamed. An adult male elephant was found dead in a small stream in Kieni forest on the southern part of Aberdares forest. The cause of death was suspected to be either poisoning or anthrax . Wild dogs are highly susceptible to Canine Distemper infection. The disease is quite endemic in domestic dogs and occasionally causes outbreaks in wild carnivores A lone female elephant was found lying in a very deep gorge of about 40 feet deep. It was quite weak and exhausted unable to stand or walk.
Outcome Successfully Treated
07-Oct-19
Elephant
Abedare NP
Postmortem
12-Oct-19
Wild Dog
Kalama Community Conservancy
Natural Causes
22-Oct-19
Elephant
Ol Donyiro, Samburu
Rescue
28-Oct-19
Lion
Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Relocation
This was an adult male lion that was found hunting and feeding on black rhino calves.
Task Successful
Leopard
Mount Kenya NR
Snared
This was a sub-adult female leopard that was trapped in Mt Kenya forest a month ago, one of its front legs was cut off at the level of the paws by a tight wire snare
Successfully Treated
29-Oct-19
Died
Died
Died
SWT/KWS Mt Kenya Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations October 2019
. Case
1 – 7th October 2019
Giraffe
Snared
Abedares National Park
An adult male giraffe was reported to be limping and had an open wound around the corium on the distal end of the right front leg. The animal was weak and could be seen walking with a lot of difficulty. The affected leg was swollen and necrotic and the animal could not put weight on the affected leg. The cause of the injury could not be ascertained but it looked like a snare wound caused by a tight wire snare that fell off. Immobilisation, examination and treatment The giraffe was darted from a vehicle using 13mgs of Etorphine Hcl combined with 50mgs of Azaperone. It took about 9 minutes for the immobilization drug to take effect, then the giraffe was roped down by the veterinary team assisted by the Aberdares team on the ground. The giraffe had a large wound on the distal end of the right front leg, the leg was heavily swollen and inflamed. The wound was cleaned with a lot of water, debrided using Hydrogen peroxide and covered with Lugol’s iodine. Further treatments included application of Opticlox ointment then Oxytetracycline spray. Procaine penicillin and Flunixine-meglumine drug was administered intramuscularly to enhance the wound healing process. Prognosis Prognosis was good after treatment of the wound.
Case 2 – 7th October 2019 Elephant
Post-mortem
Abedares National Park
An adult male elephant was found dead in a small stream in Kieni forest on the southern part of the Aberdares forest. The carcass was about 2 days old and the cause of death was suspected to be either poisoning or anthrax. The case was reported by the management of Aberdares National Park and forest security personnel so cause of death could be determined and to advise on how to dispose the carcass. Examination • •
The carcass was about 2 days old and already started decomposing The tusks had already been removed by the KWS rangers and taken for safe custody
• • •
Black tarry non clotting blood was seen oozing from the anus and mouth The carcass was heavily bloated and not eaten by scavengers It was immediately suspected to have died of anthrax infection or poisoning
Blood smear samples Blood smears were collected from the anus and ears and fixed in methanol; the samples were immediately delivered to Karatina Veterinary investigation laboratories to confirm the diagnosis. Laboratory tests were positive for anthrax infection, Bacillus anthracis bacterial rods were seen on the slide under the microscope. Cause of Death Following confirmation of anthrax, the carcass was immediately removed from the river using a bull-dozer and buried under the supervision of the veterinary team.
Case 3 – 12th October 2019 Wild Dog
Natural Causes
Kalama Conservancy, Samburu
Canine Distemper (CD) is a severe and often lethal infectious disease that affects domestic dogs, wild dogs, wild carnivores and a broad range of terrestrial and aquatic animals. The disease is caused by Canine Distemper Virus (CDV), a Morbillivirus of the Paramyxoviridae family. Direct contact with nasal, oral secretions or urine of infected animals is the main route of transmission in the wild. In Kenya and the East African region, the disease is endemic in domestic dogs and occasionally causes outbreaks in wild carnivores. Wild dogs are native and are highly susceptible to Canine Distemper infection and if not controlled then high mortality rates and even extinction might occur in wild dog populations. Immobilisation and management On the 12th October, 2019, there was a report of a sick wild dog in the Kalama Conservancy reported by a team from Ewaso Lions. The affected wild dog was in a pack of 24 wild dogs near Saruni Camp. The veterinary team responded and anaesthetized the sick wild dog using 1.5mgs of Medetomidine and 150mgs of Ketamine. On examination, the dog had mucopurulent discharges from the nostrils, it had uncoordinated movements, convulsions, seizures, watery blood tinged diarrhoea, extensive alopecia, hyperaemia of the eyes and poor body condition, all these were classical signs of Canine distemper. Whole blood and serum samples, nasal swabs were collected from the live animal and frozen for further lab analysis. The sick wild dog was confined in a cage and immediately transported to Kabete Central veterinary laboratories for post-mortem examination and sampling. Post-mortem findings were as follows; Severe gastro-enteritis indicated by extensive ecchymotic haemorrhage in small intestines and stomach, highly inflamed conjunctiva, enlarged lymph nodes and extensive alopecia on the body. Congestion and ecchymotic haemorrhages on the lungs, kidneys, liver, spleen and lymph nodes, splenomegaly, accumulation blood tinged pericardial fluid.
Tissue samples from the brain, liver, kidney, spleen, heart, intestines, lymph nodes, urinary bladder and lungs were collected and frozen for further laboratory analysis. The samples were analysed at ILRI and the disease has been diagnosed through observation of clinical signs and molecular (Polymerase chain reaction, PCR) tests. Polymerase Chain reaction (PCR) tests were conducted and were positive for the Canine distemper disease. The second wild dog case was reported on 16th October, 2019 in the same general area as the first one. The KWS vets examined the carcass and found it to be too much decomposed and could not help in making a diagnosis. Transmission and spread of canine distemper in wild dogs Wild dogs are long ranging and have capacity to cover over 40 kilometres in a day so they have great capacity to spread the pathogen in a wide range to susceptible species. Wild dogs live in close family units (packs) and have intimate grooming and greeting rituals that offer optimal contact that can enhance the transmission of Canine distemper. Domestic dogs act as reservoirs. They transmit the virus to other domestic dogs and sympatric wild carnivores such as wild dogs and meso-carnivores. Prevention of the disease is via vaccination of domestic dogs. Control of the disease There is urgent need to control the spread of the pathogen in all wild and domestic dog species and protect the vulnerable carnivores in the region. Wild dogs and other wild carnivores have no immunity to Canine distemper and therefore the spread is much faster than in domestic species. Domestic dogs may have an innate immunity due to previous outbreak or from vaccinations. Domestic dog vaccinations Vaccination of domestic dogs which are the maintenance hosts of the causative virus, was done in villages around Kalama Conservancy and West Gate where the deaths of the wild dogs as well as domestic dogs has occurred. By the end of the exercise, over 300 domestic dogs had been vaccinated.
. Case
4 – 22nd October 2019
Elephant
Rescue
Ol Donyiro, Samburu
This was a case of a lone sub-adult female elephant found lying on a sternal recumbency in a very deep gorge of about 40 feet deep. It was quite weak and exhausted unable to stand or walk. It could only be hoisted and removed out of the gorge using a helicopter. Meanwhile it was put on 50% dextrose and Ringers solution i.v to try to re-energize and make it stand up. Water was also given orally to relieve dehydration. Rescue Through a combined effort of Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, KWS veterinary teams and Reteti and Northern rangeland Trust (NRT) rangers and Tropical-air helicopter teams, the elephant was safely tied on a long strap and hoisted out of the gorge to an open area for further treatment and stabilization. The elephant still could not stand or walk after hoisting and remained recumbent for several hours over night, it was put under lots of dextrose I.V and Ringers solution i.v, oral milk and water for several hours unsuccessfully. It had white froths coming out of the trunk and was groaning with a whizzing sound while breathing, it was severely starved and was quite emaciated. Later it had difficulty in breathing and died of asphyxia. Post-mortem Examination Post-mortem examination revealed severe internal injury to the lungs which were necrotic with pus and were foul smelling, the lung tissues were heavily congested with whitish froth that looked like pus exudates. The elephant succumbed to internal injuries sustained from falling into the gorge and prolonged starvation and dehydration.
Case 5 – 28th October 2019 Lion
Relocation
Ol Pejeta Conservancy
This was an adult male lion that was found hunting and feeding on black rhino calves in Ol pejeta Conservancy, it had killed and fed on two rhino calves within a period of less than one month. This had become a regular habit that was a big threat to black rhino conservation, a decision was quickly made to relocate the lion to Mutara Conservancy which is nearby, fenced and has no rhino population.
Relocation Exercise The lion was found feeding on the rhino calf under a dense thicket where it was darted using 350mg of Ketamine combined with 8mgs of Medetomidine. The lion was the carried on a stretcher and loaded onto a crate, fitted with a GSM collar and taken to Mutara Conservancy about 50 kilometres away. The new area has adequate wild prey, existing lion prides and no rhinos. Conclusion The lion will be monitored daily to see how it adopts to the new environment and in case it crosses the fence to Ol pejeta and start feeding on rhinos then it will have to be eliminated.
Case 6 – 29th October 2019 Leopard
Snared
Mount Kenya Conservancy
This was a sub-adult female leopard that was trapped in Mt Kenya forest a month ago, one of its front legs was cut off at the level of the paws by a tight wire snare. It was now limping and not able to hunt or climb trees as usual. It was trapped and held in a cage for medication for some days until the injured leg recovered. It was therefore due to be released in a larger enclosure within the same general area of Mt Kenya Wildlife Conservancy since it could not survive in the wild with three legs.
Immobilisation, examination and treatment The leopard was darted at close range while in the cage using 150mgs of Ketamine combined with 1.5mgs of Medetomidine. The anaesthesia took effect after about 10 minutes and the leopard became recumbent. The injured leg was treated again using Lugol’s Iodine and Opticlox eye ointment. The leopard was also given Betamox antibiotic injection and Dexamethasone injection. Conclusion The leopard was later released into a new enclosure which is larger in size and with adequate bushes and tree cover where it can hide, it will be fed and taken care of for the rest of its life. The leopard was revived from anaesthesia and it rose up after 20 minutes and adapted well within the new enclosure.