Despite the heavy rains witnessed in the region in the month of November 2023, the number of cases in the region sharply increased. The Mt. Kenya Mobile Veterinary Unit attended to 14 cases in total. These included 5 rhino cases, 7 elephant cases, 1 lion case and 1 mountain bongo case.
3 rhino cases and 3 elephant cases in November were post-mortem examinations. The Veterinary Unit performed 2 rhino autopsies in Solio Ranch and 1 autopsy in Ol Jogi Conservancy. According to the post-mortem findings, these animals died of natural causes. The team also successfully treated a rhino in Ol Pejeta Conservancy for fight wounds and rescued a 1-year-old black rhino found abandoned in Solio Conservancy. The juvenile black rhino was translocated to the SWT Nairobi Nursery.
Several elephant deaths in Imenti Forest, Meru County were investigated. Autopsies were undertaken on 4 elephant carcasses in the forest, samples were collected for laboratory investigation. Additionally, the team rescued an abandoned elephant calf found at the fringes of Mt. Kenya Forest. The elephant calf was airlifted to SWT Nairobi Nursery.
The team also treated a young elephant calf in Enasoit Ranch with deep wounds on the right hind limb caused by a wire snare; treated a female mountain Bongo at Mt Kenya Wildlife Conservancy for vaginal prolapse; fitted a satellite monitoring collar on an adult male lion at Laikipia Airbase; and rescued 3 elephant bull trapped in a dam at Kinamba trading centre in Laikipia County.