SWT/KWS Quarterly Mobile Vet Report July - September 2023

Published on the 15th of October, 2023

The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT), in conjunction with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) operate six Mobile Veterinary Units. Within the quarter, the Units attended to a total of 165 wildlife cases involving 227 animals

There were 59 elephant, 22 predator, 8 rhino, 35 plains game, 17 giraffes and 10 buffalo cases as well as assessment and habituation of hippos for translocation after they invaded a Sewage Plant and attacked 2 people, whilst another was rescued from a well. Two security dogs were given vaccinations, and a postmortem was carried out on a security horse. In addition, an Aardvark was snared, 19 baboons were collared, a post-mortem was carried out on a civet cat, and 3 Colobus monkeys were relocated from Nanyuki Town and two Ostriches from Mogotio town due to human-wildlife conflict whilst another two were treated for natural causes. 7 honey badgers were also relocated after they continuously attacked bee apiaries.

Out of the poaching cases, there were 35 snaring cases, 22 spear, 10 arrow and 1 bullet wound. Of the poaching related injuries, 30 involved elephants including 17 speared, 4 snared, 8 arrow and 1 bullet wound. Of these cases only 4 resulted in death, 2 given a poor prognosis with the others receiving a good prognosis.

Other elephant cases included relocation of 2 elephants due to human – wildlife conflict cases and another after it repeatedly attacked a rhino fence compromising security. An elephant was speared and another poisoned due to human – wildlife conflict, an elephant was collared for behavioural studies and a calf was rescued and taken to the Nairobi Nursery. In addition, a rhino calf was also rescued and taken to the Kaluku Stockades.

Of the cases there was a 70% success rate and 9% death rate due to poaching or human-wildlife conflict.

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