During October 2024 to January 2025 the SWT/KWS Sky Vet program was called to handle 35 wildlife cases involving 21 elephants, a cheetah, a leopard, a lion, a rhino, 2 zebra and 2 giraffes. The cases were located all over Kenta, from the Tsavo and Amboseli ecosystem to the Laikipia region, Masai Mara and North and South Coast.
Out of the 35 cases, 20 were related to poaching, 3 for human-wildlife conflict, 11 for natural causes and 1 post-mortem of a rhino. The human-wildlife cases involved the relocation of a problem lion that was preying on livestock, relocation of an elephant bull that killed one person and injured others and the treatment of an elephant with a spear injury likely caused during human-elephant interaction due to its proximity to local communities.
The poaching cases included a leopard with a snare injury to its foot, 1 snared zebra and 1 arrowed zebra as well as 1 snared and 1 speared giraffe. 15 elephants were treated for poaching related injuries, 4 with snare wounds, 5 with spear wounds and 6 with arrow wounds. 2 of the elephants, both with spear wounds, were given a guarded prognosis whilst the others were all successfully treated and should make a full recovery.
Out of the all the cases there was a 86% success rate and only 2 deaths due to natural causes.