Anthrax and waterholes

Anthrax and waterholes

Busy days in the park attending cases. This time of year it is so dry that the elephants have to sometimes walk 20 to 50 kilometres a day away from theChobe riverfront, the only source of water, to feed and then back to drink. Every day... This is also the time of the year that the soil is eroded by the thousands of animals coming to drink that the dreaded disease of Anthrax which remains in the soil in its encapsulated state can become a problem. Many animals just suddenly drop dead from this deadly bacterium. This year there have been the usual mortalities. All carcasses when found are immediately burned to destroy the possibility of Anthrax being spread. Needles to say our extremely efficient parks and Wildlife department spends most of their time collecting firewood in the tedious job which is nonstop during this very dry season. We all pray for rain to soak the parched ground and bring new growth of foliage for animals to eat and greatly reduce the incidence of this deadly disease. Oddly enough all carcases tested to date have been negative for anthrax. So there has not been one confirmed case. One starts to look for other causes now. I believe it may be the extreme heat dehydrating these individuals and the possibility of another disease. Blood samples are sent to the state laboratory and I always do blood smears in house after letting the sample sit for 5 days so spores can form and be visible under the microscope. Today I noticed small inclusions in the red blood cells that are very similar to anaplasmosis in cattle. This is a tick borne disease that is prevalent in the area and we will be doing investigations into this being the possibility for these acute deaths.

One is to congratulate the efforts of the Parks department in building several artificially pumped water points at strategic points in the park. Animals are now frequenting these and not having to travel all the way to the river. Kudos to all personnel involved in the wonderful step that have undertaken in the management of the Chobe Park

Wounded leopard Kavimba

Wounded leopard Kavimba

Trip to CH1 (250km round trip over bad roads) to relocate leopard. Report came in that there was a leopard in one of the tents. Mr Gadimang and crew drove out there. There was a leopard in tent but was not active. I darted it with Zoletil and dragged it out of tent. It had been shot by camp staff as it was going in to the food tent. They did not go in and finish it off so leopard suffered for 2 days. I’m happy camp staff could not get to their food for that time. They should have told the truth of what happened before we responded 

BUSY IN BUSH

My Apologies for not updating blog. I have been in the deep bush for past 2 weeks and expect the project to continue for a month or so. Internet access is limited so therefore my silence. Lots of interesting stories and reports to follow once i am back in Civilization.
My love to you all.
Its all about the animals
Brgds
Dr Clay

Baby elephant treated and released

REPORT OF BABY ELEPHANT SAVED 

BY LAURA MARCHITTO

Two special days in a row is unbelievable. I told you that yesterday my Grandson was being born while we were saving a baby Elephant. Today (August 4, 2011), I saw my Grandson’s picture for the first time and we saw the baby Elephant we helped last night on the river in the park eating and drinking. What great day! I posted last night’s pictures and today’s pictures of the baby Elephant. I actually really made a big error in taking pictures because it was dark by the time we went to assist the Baby Elephant (I had a setting on that did not allow a flash and by the time I was told, many of some really good pictures did not come out). At any rate, what I wanted to show with the pictures is how hard everyone worked as a team trying to save/treat this baby Elephant. It has been hanging around a game lodge and was in apparent distress due to his tail being chewed off (we can only guess that a predator chewed his tail). Clay felt that the baby Elephant may have died due to the severity of the injury. Our first thoughts were to tranquilize the baby and moved it into the park (the game lodge was next to the park so we would not had to take him very far but we wanted to get him into the park so he would not wander into town). However, trying to pick the baby up without a crane or some type of mechanical device became apparent that it could not be done with the number of individuals that we had at hand after a couple of attempts.

 

Since it was night time when we were told about the distressed baby, there were not enough people around to be able to pick the baby up and put it into a truck to move into the park. I stopped taking pictures after the Elephant was treated and so I could assist in the treatment of the Elephant. While everyone possible was trying to pick up the baby, I was holding his trunk and making sure he was breathing properly and keeping his eyes covered with a blanket. You can see in the pictures when Keith was holding the babies trunk and Clay was treating him that it was very hard work since the baby was so large. I wanted all to know that even though this was one of the most rewarding things that one can do, that it was exhausting work. Clay used lots of antibiotics and antiinflamatories to assist in healing the baby Elephant. You can also see when he was walking around after he woke up that we also kept him cooled with water (that is why he looks so dirty) so, today it was extremely exciting to see the baby elephant in the park eating and drinking. I am so thankful to be able to assist these amazing creatures. I am very blessed.

 

Elephant shot and poacher apprehended

Elephant shot and poacher apprehended
Report to Parks Re: Elephant shot and Poacher apprehended

On Saturday 23^rd of July I received a call from a private citizen they could not contact anyone else. They had heard gunshots the previous evening and had heard the bullet hit.  The Citizen went to investigate and saw evidence of a blood trail and tracks of an elephant dragging its leg. I went to the area and confirmed the blood and spoor of wounded elephant. We followed the tracks and it went east .Ely crossed a main road into the large area between the Zambia and Zimbabwe Border posts. The elephant was dragging a leg and was very easy to track. After 2 hours we found elephant herd and singled out the wounded Ely. We were within 40 meters from them. A middle age female approximately 30 years with decent tusks was feeding. When she tried to move her entire right hind leg almost completely collapsed. With binoculars we saw there was blood trickling down her rear right leg. She had been shot high up on her backside near the spine but I was unable to discern any other detail. We moved back and I attempted to call various wardens with no response. It was now 5:30 pm i am not allowed to euthanize and animal unless I contact a park official as a new policy. At 6:30 pm I received a call from the wardens on duty. I organized to meet them first thing Sunday morning to assist them.

On Sunday 24 early, both Wardens on duty arrived to get me and we went to area. We spent 9 ½ hours tracking the elephant. Unfortunately there were so much movement of other elephants and other game that previous night that we were only unable to follow tracks for a few hours as it had turned into grassland were it was very difficult to discern sign. On that search we found various snares attached to trees. I fund a sub adult Buffalo trapped by the neck with a wire that had been dead for at least a week and had decomposed. We then came across 2 impala heads and skin. These had been freshly butchered that morning. We then decided to go to the BDF camp nearby to seek assistance. He went to the commander whom was very helpful.

On taking the BDF to see the impala carcasses we managed to find were the poachers had stashed their meat on an anthill. BDF promised to make an ambush that evening as we were sure they would be back for the meat. We then left the area. I am not a young man and I am very sore in the muscles and have calluses on my feet from walking all day.

On Monday 26^th the wardens came to get me and we went to BDF camp. They had managed to capture one poacher the night before at the ambush. It appears to be a local that worked at the ferry. He was arrested and given to the  Police. With a few BDF soldiers we went back to area to see if we could find the wounded elephant. After 2 hours with no success of finding spoor or vultures we gave up. We found and removed more than 20 snares in less than an hour after that.  I hope that this individual captured gets the appropriate punishment and that he reveals his accomplices. In the past all poachers I have caught have been given a paltry fine and released.

It’s very sad for the wounded elephant shot in the backside that is going to suffer for a week or 2 as that wound gets infected and she will die a slow painful death. It would have saved a lot of time and man-hours expended in the next few days if I was able to euthanize it.  I hope that in the next week as it gets sicker that it does not endanger and innocent passerby in its rage and pain.

I suggested that a large patrol of officers scours that area for snares.