A deep spear wound to the leg had already put this bull in a bad position. But ‘bad position’ took on a whole new meaning when he fell to the anesthetic on his sternum — turning his treatment into a high-pressure race against the clock.
Our pilot spotted the elephant — a large, distinctive bull with a single tusk — during a routine aerial patrol. With his trained eye, he immediately detected a wound on the back leg. He was in Dakadima, a remote area in the far reaches of Galana Ranch that is four hours from the nearest SWT/KWS Mobile Vet Unit and inaccessible by road.
So, we brought the team to him. The SWT helicopter flew in the SWT/KWS Tsavo Vet Unit, and Dr. Limo darted the patient from the air. It took some time for the anaesthetic to take effect, so our ground teams moved in to guide the bull into the ideal position for treatment.
Unfortunately, the bull had other ideas. He refused to be guided onto his side and instead slid into a sternal position. While this actually offered ideal access to the wound, it put dangerous pressure on his organs and risked breathing complications — so the team had to work quickly.
As suspected, the bull had been speared — likely a result of human-wildlife conflict. The wound was deep and, left untreated, could have had serious implications. Luckily, it was caught early and hadn’t yet caused lasting damage. The team quickly rapidly but thoroughly cleaned and treated the wound, then administered medication to aid healing. Once revived, he got to his feet and lumbered off to rejoin his two bull friends, who were waiting nearby.