EASTERN CONSERVATION AREA VETERINARY UNIT MONTHLY REPORT OCTOBER 2014
Report by: Bernard Rono
In the month of October, Meru Conservation Area continued to experience a drought consequently many wildlife species were dispersed along the greener riparian habitats. The park has several permanent rivers which ensure water availability throughout the year, however, foliage availability is a challenge.
Cases attended included a post mortem examination of a northern white rhino carcass in Ol Pejeta Conservancy, removal of a strangulating collar from an elephant and follow up treatment of a wounded elephant in Meru national park.
CASE#1 POST MORTEM EXAMINATION OF A WHITE RHINO CARCASS
Date of Death: 10th October 2014
Date of Postmortem : 11th October 2014
Species: White Rhino
Location : Patas, Solio Ranch
On 11th October 2014 the Officer in Charge of security at Solio ranch reported a white rhino carcass in the ranch. This followed a poaching incident the previous night. A post mortem examination was carried out to document the cause death.
Massive hemorrhage was found in thoracic cavity with clotted blood. There were penetrating wounds in the left apical lobes of the lung and the right apical lobe of the lung. All other organs were normal.
A fully formed male fetus was found in the uterus approximately 14 month gestation.
This rhino died from hypovolemic shock caused by injuries to the lungs. These injuries are consistent with those caused by a high velocity projectile fired from close range. The projectile seems to have entered through the right side of the body and exit from contralateral left chest which showed a larger wound.
CASE #2 COLLAR REMOVAL IN AN ELEPHANT
Location: Kindani Plains, Meru National Park
Date: 13th October 2014
This elephant bull had a tight strangulating collar around its neck which had caused wounds on its nape. It was also in poor body condition compared to its herd mates. This animal was reported initially by tourists who photographed it in mid-September and it was immobilized for treatment on the 13th October when the veterinary team found it during their routine patrol of the park.
Immobilization, examination and treatment
Routine elephant immobilization procedure was followed. A 3cc Dan inject dart containing 18mg Etorphine Hcl was administered to the gluteal muscles and the elephant was immobilized after 12 minutes, falling onto right lateral recumbency.
Close examination showed an old collar which may have been fitted when this animal was young. Treatment entailed collar removal and cleaning the wounds with antiseptic. Parenteral antimicrobials and multivitamin drugs were administered.
To reverse the effects of anesthesia Diprenophine hydrochloride 60mg was administered intravenously through the ear veins.
He is expected to make a full recovery.
CASE #3 WOUND TREATMENT IN A JUVENILE ELEPHANT
Location: Kinna, Meru National Park
This was a follow up treatment on a three year old male elephant that suffered an expansive wound on its right thigh suspected to have been caused by a predator attack. He was immobilized for treatment on October 13th.
A dart containing 3mg Etorphine Hcl was used to immobilize this elephant and he fell onto left lateral recumbency after 5 minutes. He was darted on foot after stalking it close to a river.
Examination revealed that the wound was showing signs of healing by secondary intention with fibrous tissue formation. The wound was cleaned with water and soap and then Povidone Iodine and green clay was applied. Betamox trihydrate 30ml was injected intramuscularly to prevent overwhelming systemic infection.
Reversal from anesthesia was achieved by administration of Diprenophine HCl 18mg through the ear vein.
CASE#4 POST MORTEM EXAMINATION OF A NORTHERN WHITE RHINO
Date of Death: 17th October 2014
Date of Postmortem : 18th October 2014
Species: Northern White Rhino - Suni
Age: Adult, 34 years
Location : Ol Pejeta
This report describes findings of a post mortem examination on a northern white rhino carcass in Ol Pejeta conservancy. This procedure was conducted on site after an estimated 12 hour delay from time of death to rule out anthrax – a notifiable disease of public health importance.
Suni, a male northern white rhino (NWR) was found dead by rangers in its boma in Ol Pejeta conservancy (OPC) on Friday, October 17. He had no recent history of illness and had been observed grazing the previous night.
Suni and three other NWR (1 male, 2 females) were moved to OPC in 2009.
Incidental finding: parasitic cyst 5 centimeters in diameter was found in the pleura.
Efforts were made to collect spermatozoa at post mortem for future NWR breeding plans. This entailed excision of testicles by aseptic technique and flushing the epididymis with a sterile isotonic solution to collect spermatozoa for analysis (sperm count, motility, morphology and eosin/ nigrosin staining for viability)
Observation under a microscope showed 50% live immotile spermatozoa with normal morphology. For storage cryoprotectant media was added and aliquoted into straws. This mixture was frozen using a method known as vitrification and cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen for future use.
Sudden death of this rhino was attributed to a confluence of natural causes.
Organic conditions such as botulism caused by ingestion of preformed toxins of Clostridium botulinum bacteria which may cause sporadic death in wildlife with no pathological lesions need to be investigated. Ingested toxins of Cl. botulinum are neurotoxins which may be present in decaying plant or animal material cause flaccid motor paralysis which leads to respiratory, cardiac and gut paralysis. Confirmatory diagnosis in such a case is by demonstration of botulinum toxin in tissues, stomach and intestinal contents of the carcass.
Other causes of sudden death which need to be investigated include Clostridium perfrigens enterotoxaemia which is characterized by a peracute clinical course and mortality. This disease has recently been reported in black rhinos in Ol Jogi conservancy (Ndeereh et al., 2011).
CASE#5 RESCUE AND TREATMENT OF AN INJURED AARDVARK
Date: 19th October 2014
This injured aardvark was found one morning by the community living around the park.
Net capture method was used for restraint. Examination showed wounds caused by sharp objects to its head. These wounds were cleaned and a topical antimicrobial applied.
It was rescued and released into the park on October 19th and expected to make a full recovery.