THE WORK OF THE TRUST'S BURRA DESNARING TEAM AND MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT

News Updates THE WORK OF THE TRUST'S BURRA DESNARING TEAM AND MOBILE VETERINARY UNIT

Recently our Burra desnaring antipoaching team while patrolling the Ndii area in Tsavo East National Park came across two buffalos, both trapped in separate cable snares, but both still alive

Recently our Burra desnaring antipoaching team while patrolling the Ndii area in Tsavo East National Park came across two buffalos, both trapped in separate cable snares, but both still alive. The team leader immediately alerted the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust’s Mobile Veterinary Unit who was quickly at the scene. We suspect the buffalos had both been trapped in the snares for at least 24 hours, as the ground around the secured snare was churned up and pounded indicating hours of struggle as they desperately tried in vein to break free, all the while pulling the cable snare tighter and tighter.

Dr. David Ndeereh darted them both and they were cut free with wire cutters and the wounds were treated. The one buffalo in addition to the cable snare taught across his face also had an abscess on his front leg which was treated as well. The moment the revival drug was administered they got back on their feet and once they regained their strength galloped off. The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust runs six desnaring antipoaching teams in the Tsavo region in an effort to help curb the bushmeat trade and to patrol the boundaries together with rangers from The Kenyan Wildlife Service. To read more about the Trusts desnaring project please click on the desnaring link. http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/desnaring/index_new.asp

The Tsavo Mobile veterinary Unit which covers both Tsavo East and West National Park and the surrounding Group Ranches, both Shimba Hills and the Chyulu Hills National Parks and Amboseli National Park is funded by Vier Photen. To view the gallery of photographs of treated cases from our Veterinary Unit click on this link: http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/mobilevet/gallery.asp

The Trust has recently secured funding for a second Mobile Veterinary Unit which will be covering cases in the Central Rift Province. This includes the famous Masaai Mara National Reserve, Lake Naivasha and the Private and Group Ranches in that area and Lake Nakuru National Park. This unit will be operational from early March 2007.