The Amboseli Mobile Veterinary Unit attended to four veterinary cases during December 2021, supporting a diversity of wildlife including a lion, two elephants and a zebra.
The Amboseli and Chyulu ecosystem received plentiful rains after a long dry period and wild animals dispersed widely to feast on the new vegetation. Consequently, this led to a reduction in Human-Elephant Conflict. Cases included an attempt to locate a lion with a non-functioning collar in the Chyulu Hills which was unsuccessful. In another case, the Unit determined further monitoring - as opposed to treatment - would be more beneficial to an elephant with a tumour. The team also attended a post-mortem examination on an elephant that had been reported recumbent. It revealed the animal was another victim of the drought, suffering from malnutrition and an abrupt diet change with the onset of the rains. Lastly, the Unit was called to intervene in the case of a male zebra being moved from a fenced plot. Despite efforts to create an exit for the animal, the stallion forced his own way out.