SWT/KWS MOBILE VETERINARY UNITS TSAVO – MARA – MERU - AMBOSELI – MT KENYA October – December 2020 Report
Introduction
119 Cases
29 Poaching Cases
36 Elephant Cases
20 Predator Cases
10 HWC Cases
69% Success
October – December 2020 Report for Tsavo, Mara, Meru, Amboseli and Mt Kenya Units During the October – December 2020, 3-month reporting period, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT) in partnership with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and their five dedicated field veterinary officers, attended to 119 wildlife cases, 36 of which included elephants. Of the 119 cases attended to, 29 cases were related to poaching and involved 10 snares, 10 spears, 8 arrows and 1 bullet wound. There were also 10 human-wildlife conflict cases including 5 poisoning incidents. Of the poaching cases, 18 involved elephants; 1 bullet wound, 6 arrows, 8 spear cases and 3 snaring cases. Five elephants died due to the extent of their injuries. Other elephant cases included 9 treatments for natural causes, 5 post-mortems, assumed to be natural deaths and 1 collaring. There were also 3 rescues including reuniting an elephant calf with its mother after becoming stuck in mud, rescue and relocation of a calf to the orphanage and freeing a bull that was trapped in a sewage pit. Non-elephant cases attended to included 5 snared zebra, 1 snared giraffe and 1 snared buffalo as well as 2 speared and 2 arrowed giraffes. There were 10 human-wildlife conflict cases including 9 poisoned vultures and 2 poisoned lions. Two hyenas had to be rescued after falling into a pit latrine. A leopard was relocated due to livestock predation and a lion was also relocated after it wandered into KWS offices in Tsavo East. The investigation into flamingo deaths in Magadi revealed electrocution due to poorly visible fence-lines. Other cases included post-mortems, collarings, rescues and natural injuries. Contraceptive devices were implanted in several lions to reduce overpopulation and 59 antelope were relocated for breeding purposes.
Case Details Elephant Predators Rhino Plains Game Giraffe Buffalo Other Poaching
18
5
Human Wildlife Conflict
1
5
Natural Causes
9
8
Post-mortem
14
5
3
2
Rescue
2
1
Collared
1
5 2
Relocation Grand Total
36
20
1
1 5
Technical Case
5
3
2
1
5
13
30
29 4
1
11 37 10
1 1
Total
1
2
2
7 9
3
10 6
9
2
9
119
119 Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Vet Units October 2020 - December 2020 40
35
30
Other Buffalo
25
Giraffe Plains Game
20
Rhinos 15
Predators Elephant
10
5
0 Poaching
Human Wildlife Conflict
Natural Causes
Postmortem
Rescue
Collared
Technical Case Relocation
39 Poaching and HWC Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Vet Units October 2020 - December 2020 12
10
8
6
Other Buffalo
4
Giraffe Plains Game
2
Predators Elephant
Poaching
Human Wildlife Conflict
Poison
Wildlife Encroachment
Suspected Poisoning
Relocation
Manhole
Livestock Predation
Electrocution
Spear
Snared
Bullet Wound
Arrow
0
Outcomes of Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Vet Units October 2020 - December 2020
Prognosis Poor 7% Poaching Death 5%
Human Wildlife Conflict Death 4%
Successful Cases 69%
Died 11%
Taken to Orphanage 3% Not Located 1%
Outcomes of Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Vet Units October 2020 - December 2020
Mt Kenya
23
Amboseli
3
16
Meru
2
2
2
2
1 1
4
2
1
18
Mara
17
Tsavo
8
0 Successful Cases
2
3
5 Prognosis Poor
1 1
10 Poaching Death
4
15
1
3
2
20
25
Human Wildlife Conflict Death
30 Died
35
40
Taken to Orphanage
Not Located
SWT/KWS Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations Tsavo – Mara – Meru – Amboseli – Mt Kenya October – December 2020
SWT/KWS TSAVO MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OVERVIEW October – December 2020
19 Cases
7 Poaching Cases
10 Elephant Cases
The previous months were hot and dry, with little food or water for animals. These conditions continued into October but thankfully the long-awaited rains arrived in November. The Ecosystem became green as vegetation regenerated and waterholes filled. Wildlife thrived and many new-borns were seen throughout the Park. Due to the availability of sufficient food and water for both wildlife and humans/livestock there was a drop in cases in November. The Tsavo Vet Unit were off during December. The majority of cases attended to involved poaching attempts on 5 elephants and 2 snared zebras. One of the elephants succumbed to a snare injury before treatment and 2 arrowed elephants were given a guarded prognosis.
19 Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Tsavo Vet Unit October 2020 - December 2020 8 7 6
Other Buffalo
5
Plains Game 4 Rhinos Predators
3
Elephant 2 1 0 Poaching
Human Wildlife Natural Causes Conflict
Postmortem
Rescue
Collared
Relocation
Outcomes of Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Tsavo Vet Unit October 2020 - December 2020
Prognosis Poor 16%
Poaching Death 5% Human Wildlife Conflict Death 5%
Successful Cases 42%
Died 21%
Taken to Orphanage 11%
SWT/KWS Tsavo Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations October – December 2020
October 2020
To see the full report for Tsavo Vet Unit for the month of October 2020 click here November 2020
To see the full report for Tsavo Vet Unit for the month of Nov 2020 click here December 2020
Tsavo Vet were on leave for the month of December 2020
SWT/KWS MARA MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OVERVIEW October – December 2020
23 Cases
11 Poaching Cases
11 Elephant Cases
Sporadic rain showers began in the middle of October and by November the rainfall was moderate and widespread over the Conservation area which petered out by the end of December. Due to the rains, there was plentiful food and water for all wildlife species to utilize throughout the quarter. The Unit attended to 6 elephants, 1 zebra and 4 giraffes with poaching injuries, the majority of which were spear or arrow injuries as well as one snare injury on the zebra. The Unit also rescued an elephant bull that was stuck for more than 36 hours after slipping into a poorly secured sewage pit. A hyena carcass was poisoned and the Unit conducted post-mortems on 3 subsequently poisoned vultures and were able to treat and save two more. 23 Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Mara Vet Unit October 2020 - December 2020 12
10 Other 8 Giraffe Plains Game
6
Predators 4
Elephant
2
0 Poaching
Human Wildlife Conflict
Natural Causes
Postmortem
Rescue
Outcomes of Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Mara Vet Unit October 2020 - December 2020
Successful Cases 74%
Poaching Death 9% Human Wildlife Conflict Death 4% Died 13%
SWT/KWS Mara Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations October – December 2020
October 2020
To see the full report for Mara Vet Unit for the month of October 2020 click here November 2020
To see the full report for Mara Vet Unit for the month of Nov 2020 click here December 2020
To see the full report for Mara Vet Unit for the month of Dec 2020 click here
SWT/KWS MERU MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OVERVIEW October – December 2020
18 Cases
6 Predator Cases
100% Success
October marked the beginning of the rainy season and after two weeks of rain the vegetation recovered providing ample forage for wildlife which are all in good condition. The rains continued into November and through December. Due to sufficient rainfall, seasonal streams began to flow and the permanent rivers increased in volume as the runoff from the plains fills their banks. The plentiful forage and browse reduced human-wildlife conflict and poaching related injuries with only 1 snared giraffe requiring treatment. The majority of cases were natural as well as 4 collarings of 4 elephants, 5 hirola, 1 giraffe and 1 lion. The Unit were also involved in the implantation of contraceptive devices in lioness’s as a means of population control. 18 Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Meru Vet Unit October 2020 - December 2020 10 9 8 7 Other
6
Giraffe 5
Plains Game
4
Rhinos
3
Predators Elephant
2 1 0 Poaching
Natural Causes
Rescue
Collared
Technical Case
Outcomes of Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Meru Vet Unit October 2020 - December 2020
Successful Cases 100%
SWT/KWS Meru Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations October – December 2020
October 2020
To see the full report for Meru Vet Unit for the month of October 2020 click here November 2020
To see the full report for Meru Vet Unit for the month of Nov 2020 click here December 2020
To see the full report for Meru Vet Unit for the month of Dec 2020 click here
SWT/KWS AMBOSELI MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OVERVIEW October – December 2020
25 Cases
6 Poaching Cases
8 Elephant Cases
During this quarter, the Unit attended to 25 cases including 6 poaching and 6 human-wildlife conflict cases. Elephants were the most common victims of poaching, with 1 arrow, 1 snare and 2 spear wounds as well as a snared zebra and buffalo. Human-wildlife conflict cases most frequently involved predators; a lion died from suspected poisoning, two hyenas were rescued from a pit, and a leopard and lion were relocated due to livestock predation and for straying into a compound respectively. The Unit also relocated a zebra that had wandered into Ukunda town, Diani and investigated the deaths of flamingos that were electrocuted on powerlines in Magadi. Other cases included the collaring of 2 lions and tagging of 8 giraffes among others.
25 Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Amboseli Vet Unit October 2020 - December 2020 8 7 6 Other 5
Buffalo Giraffe
4 Plains Game Predators
3
Elephant 2 1 0 Poaching
Human Wildlife Conflict
Natural Causes
Postmortem
Collared
Technical Case
Outcomes of Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Amboseli Vet Unit October 2020 - December 2020
Prognosis Poor 8%
Poaching Death 8%
Human Wildlife Conflict Death 8%
Successful Cases 64% Died 8%
Not Located 4%
SWT/KWS Amboseli Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations October – December 2020
October 2020
To see the full report for Amboseli Vet Unit for the month of October 2020 click here
November 2020
To see the full report for Amboseli Vet Unit for the month of November 2020 click here
December 2020
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SWT/KWS MT KENYA MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT OVERVIEW October – December 2020
34 Cases
4 Poaching Cases
10 Rhino Cases
During this quarter, the Unit attended to 34 cases within the Laikipia ecosystem and Mount Kenya region. The majority of these cases were due to natural causes or non-medical cases such as relocations, technical or the collaring of one lion. The Unit also rescued a rhino that lost its mother and a giraffe that was stuck in a muddy swamp. There was also the post-mortem of a rhino, a bongo that was entangled in vines and a zebra with a heavy worm infestation – all three were deemed to be natural deaths. There were only 4 poaching cases including a snared elephant and zebra, a speared elephant and an elephant that sadly had to be euthanised due to a bullet wound. The Unit also attended a case where 4 vultures died from poisoning. 34 Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Mount Kenya Vet Unit October 2020 - December 2020 14
12
10 Other
8
Giraffe 6
Plains Game Rhinos
4 Predators Elephant
2
0 Poaching
Human Wildlife Conflict
Natural Causes
Postmortem
Rescue
Collared
Technical Case
Relocation
Outcomes of Cases attended to by the SWT/KWS Mount Kenya Vet Unit October 2020 - December 2020
Prognosis Poor 9%
Successful Cases 67% Died 12%
Poaching Death 3% Human Wildlife Conflict Death 3%
Taken to Orphanage 6%
SWT/KWS Mt Kenya Mobile Vet Unit Treatment Locations October – December 2020
October 2020
To see the full report for Mt Kenya Vet Unit for the month of October 2020 click here
November 2020
To see the full report for Mt Kenya Vet Unit for the month of November 2020 click here
December 2020
To see the full report for Mt Kenya Vet Unit for the month of December 2020 click here