During August, the Meru Ecosystem experienced predominantly dry conditions, with only light showers occurring sporadically throughout the month. The vegetation in the region continued to deteriorate, with many areas exhibiting a loss of green coloration and patches of bare ground. Despite the general dryness, an intriguing phenomenon was noted: some rivers exhibited a mysterious increase in water levels, maintaining their flow even as the surrounding environment remained largely arid.
Encouragingly, there was a notable increase in sightings of baby giraffes and expectant mothers, offering hope for a rise in wildlife populations within the ecosystem. However, the positive developments were tempered by a rise in tsetse fly density and an ongoing challenge with wire snare poaching. All cases attended to by the Unit in Meru National Park during this period involved animals affected by poacher's snares.
During the month in question, the Vet team attended to three cases within Meru National Park: a female buffalo with a wire snare around the neck, which unfortunately succumbed to its injuries during treatment; a male hyena with a wire snare around the neck, which showed a good prognosis for recovery; and a male buffalo with wire snares around both the neck and right hind leg, also demonstrating a good prognosis for recovery. In Rumuruti Forest, the team performed an autopsy examination on the carcass of an elephant bull that was found to have died from injuries sustained during a territorial fight.