One great wilderness. Four days. Five different species. From an arrowed zebra to a speared hippopotamus, that amounted to five wild lives saved through Sky Vets.
In partnership with the KWS, we established Sky Vets to expand our veterinary reach across Kenya. When a patient is reported in a remote or inaccessible area, it is Sky Vets who answer the call. It also provides coverage when an SWT/KWS Mobile Veterinary Unit is on leave, ensuring no landscape is left behind.
Last month, the great migration converged in the Mara. As the annual phenomenon brought millions of wildebeest, zebras, and antelope to the plains, daily challenges continued. Like so many landscapes across Africa, the Mara sits in the cross hairs of human expansion. While the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Mara Triangle, and many surrounding Maasai conservancies and group ranches remain protected, development and cultivation continue to chip away at the greater Mara ecosystem. This drives an increase in poaching, snaring, and human-wildlife conflict, as unsuspecting animals venture outside park boundaries.
With the SWT/KWS Mara Mobile Veterinary Unit on leave, Sky Vets was on call. This Case Notes details four days in the field, in which KWS vet Dr Njoroge and team attended to five species in five different cases. We celebrated a 100 percent success rate in this veterinary marathon, with each patient given a positive prognosis for recovery.
Case 1: Arrowed buffalo
Date: 21st July 2022
Species: Syncerus caffer (buffalo)
Age, Gender: Adult Male
Location: Angama, Partakilat Rhino Sanctuary
History: An arrowed buffalo was reported by the sanctuary rangers during their routine patrol in the sanctuary. Sky Vets found the patient grazing with other bulls within the sanctuary. He had an arrow penetrating the left caudal shoulder joint, exhibiting slight lameness as he walked.
Treatment: The patient was darted from the vehicle and succumbed to the anaesthetic seven minutes later. The team employed forceps and scalpel to remove the arrow, as it was hooked. After thoroughly cleaning the wound, the patient was revived. With the assistance of a rope around his horns, he got to his feet and linked up with his herd.
Prognosis: Good
Case 2: Snared Giraffe
Date: 22nd July 2022
Species: Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi (Maasai giraffe)
Age, Gender: Adult Male
Location: Mara Triangle, Maji ya Ndege
History: Mara Triangle rangers requested Sky Vets review a giraffe who had previously been treated for a wound on his lower left hock joint, which was suspected to have been caused by a snare.
Treatment: Although the team recorded slight lameness in the giraffe, puss had drained from the wound and granulation tissue had formed. No evidence of maggots was observed and lameness is expected to subside with time. Further clinical intervention was not deemed necessary. [Given there was no clinical intervention, no photos were taken of this operation]
Prognosis: Good
Case 3: Speared Hippopotomus
Date: 22nd July 2022
Species: Hippopotamus amphibius (hippopotamus)
Age, Gender: Adult Female
Location: Ol Kinyei Conservancy
History: During a routine patrol, conservancy rangers reported a speared hippopotamus. Sky Vets found her partially submerged in the water, with an entire spear protruding from her body. The tip was embedded in the muscles of the dorsal thorax.
Treatment: Immobilising a hippo is challenging, as it presents significant risk of drowning. Instead, the team devised an alternative method to remove the spear. Using a long metal bar with a hook, they reached into the water and managed to dislodge it from the hippo’s body. Given that there was no evidence of infection in the entry wound, she is expected to heal quickly and did not require clinical intervention.
Prognosis: Good
Case 4: Lame Elephant
Date: 23rd July 2022
Species: Loxodonta africana (African elephant)
Age, Gender: Adult Female
Location: Siana Conservancy
History: Elephant Aware rangers spotted a female elephant exhibiting abnormal swelling. Sky Vets found browsing alongside her herd. She had a young calf who was about 1-2 years old. The team observed slight lameness as she walked, along with swelling of the lower abdomen and genitalia.
Treatment: The patient was darted from the vehicle and succumbed to the anaesthetic within seven minutes. Her baby was left in the herd’s care, which remained nearby. The team found that an infection had caused inflammation and an accumulation of fluid in the lower abdomen and genitalia. They drained the fluid, cleaned the area, and administered antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. Within three minutes of reversing the anaesthetic, the female was back on her feet and quickly reunited with her baby and herd.
Prognosis: Good — monitoring was advised and the Vet Unit will review her progress after 14 days
Case 5: Arrowed Zebra
Date: 24th July 2022
Species: E. burchellii (common zebra)
Age, Gender: Adult Male
Location: Maasai Mara Game Reserve, Ngama Hills
History: During a routine patrol of the reserve, the Vet Unit observed a zebra grazing alongside other wildlife. He had an arrowhead protruding from his right flank, with swelling around the entry site. The team immediately initiated a treatment.
Treatment: The zebra did not go down on the first dart, necessitating a second attempt. As the anaesthetic began to take effect, he dashed into a nearby swamp. The team waded into the swamp and pulled the zebra from the waters before commencing treatment. Much like the first patient, he had been struck by a hooked arrow. Using forceps and a scalpel, they removed the arrow and cleaned the wound. The zebra was revived without incident.
Prognosis: Good