• One Land cruiser pick-up 4 wheel drive vehicle
• One Land cruiser hard top 4 wheel drive vehicle
• Two 50 meters long sisal ropes of about 4 inches diameter
• A tractor
• Water pump
• Power saw, sharp pangas and axes
• Long wooden poles
• Dan-inject dart gun
• Immobilization drugs & other drugs in a drug box

When the rescue team which included the KWS veterinarian arrived at the scene, the animals had stayed in the swamp for two days. They had struggled and had exhausted all their energy while attempting to come out of the pools.

The elephants were pulled out using ropes that were tactfully tied round the neck region and limbs. These ropes were then tied onto a Toyota Land cruiser, a tractor and another vehicle. These three vehicles then pulled the elephant simultaneously and persistently towards the same direction while being guided by the veterinarian not to injure the animals. The first animal was pulled out at about 1530 hours then it was properly treated using antibiotics, multivitamins and some corticosteroids to prevent shock. It then took off and ran into the bush feeling relieved.

The second elephant to be rescued in the same manner was in her late stage of pregnancy and after struggling for along time to come out it was already starved and dehydrated and could not stand up after it was pulled out. It was offered all the necessary treatments and time to rest but was unable to support itself and stand up. Several attempts were made to assist it to rise up but it could not. Later in the day we decided to let it rest on that ground overnight while being monitored by rangers hoping that it would stand up and if not, try to assist it stand up the following day.

The third elephant was successfully rescued and walked away without any difficulties. The team had to stop after that because of darkness.

The following day several attempts were made to treat this elephant but it failed to stand up. Shortly afterwards it died and a postmortem examination was carried out.

Postmortem findings

A dead fetus of about 16 months old was retrieved from the uterus, the animal was highly dehydrated with soft and flabby muscles.

Possible causes of death

Hypoglycemia and dehydration occurred because of starvation for long time without food and drinking water. The fetus could have died when the mother was struggling to come out of the pool or when it was being pulled out. It was not possible for the elephant to survive with a dead fetus of that age in the uterus for that long. There was also suspected nervous paralysis of the hind limbs that might have occurred while it was being pulled out.

Carcass disposal

The carcass was cut into small pieces using power saw, axes and sharp pangas and dragged by a tractor into a pit that was dug in a nearby bush. Area residents were warned not to touch or consume that carcass. The disposal exercise was supervised by the veterinarian on the ground and the District Warden.

Results

Two elephants were successfully pulled out of the swamp and managed to move back to the wild without injury or complications.

The second animal to be rescued failed to rise up and remained lying on lateral recumbency by the poolside for about 12 hours before it died. Postmortem examination
Carried out revealed that it was pregnant with about 16 months old fetus that died in the uterus. Due to starvation and lack of drinking water, hypoglycemia and dehydration had set in and worsened the health status.

There was also suspected nervous paralysis of hind limbs that might have occurred in the pool while it was being pulled out, this complicated the case further.

Difficulties and Challenges

• The ground was so soft that the trucks used for pulling these elephants got stuck severally during this exercise and this delayed the exercise for long. The sisal ropes that were used were not strong enough to pull the full weight of an adult elephant from the pool, the ropes broke off at different points during the exercise and we kept on joining them up every time.

• Natural fear of the animal, only very few experienced people managed to come near the animals and fix the ropes at the required positions for pulling, the rest could not come closer because of fear.

• The risk of animal getting traumatized/injured during the manipulation and pulling using trucks was a real challenge hence the trucks pulled slowly in unison.

• The first elephant to be rescued took off and ran into the bush with a rope still hanging on its neck, but luckily enough it dropped before it went far, this would have necessitated the immobilization of this animal to recover the rope hence more stress and risk for its life.

• Postmortem and disposal of the dead animal was quite a difficult task. It involved the use of power saw, axes, pangas and a lot of manpower to cut into the carcass, and break it into smaller pieces that could be transported easily to where the disposal pit was dug.

Lake Kamnarok National Reserve lies within Kerio Valley about 50 Kilometers from Kabarnet town in Baringo District of Kenya. For a long time this lake has been the source of water for both wild and domestic animals in this area. Due to prolonged drought and continued siltation, the lake has considerably receded and it was almost dry by the time the elephants got stuck in it.

Elephants are known to visit the lake more frequently in search of water and mineral licks but they will now face the danger of getting stuck in the lake. The ground surrounding small pools of water which is the only remains of the lake is soft and marshy and yet looks dry and this could explain why the elephants got stuck in it.

The area has not received enough rainfall and it is feared that other elephants might also get stuck while going for water.

Recommendations

Acknowledgement

We acknowledge everyone who participated in this exercise for their good cooperation and more so to the area District Warden for timely reporting of the incidence and providing some of the equipment that were used in that operation. The Head of Veterinary Services KWS Dr Gakuya for initiating and coordinating the to ensure that it was successful. Director, KWS for continued support during this exercise.

List of Participants:

This report was compiled by; Dr Domnic Mijele; a Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Veterinarian.

Edited by; Dr. Francis M. Gakuya; Head of Veterinary Services Department; Kenya Wildlife Service, (KWS)