In the expanse of Loldaiga Wildlife Conservancy in Laikipia County, community scouts made a poignant discovery—a young male elephant with substantial wounds on its left front leg, navigating the Loldaiga hills in solitude, away from its herd.
A dedicated team of experts undertook a mission to locate and assist the injured elephant within the dense forest.
After hours of careful tracking, they found the elephant concealed deep within a thicket.
Administering a dart containing 15mgs of etorphine Hcl into the muscle on its right rump, the team successfully immobilized the elephant for examination and treatment.
Monitoring the elephant’s response, the team gently maneuvered it onto its side after it went down onto its chest, revealing significant wounds on the left front leg.
In a septic condition, the wounds contained pus, exudates, and necrotic tissue debris.
A meticulous cleaning process ensued, employing clean water, sterile gauze swabs, and a 10% hydrogen peroxide solution.
Subsequent treatments included the application of Opticlox® ointment and an oxytetracycline spray.
The elephant also received an intramuscular injection of Procaine penicillin (Norocillin®) and dexamethasone to facilitate healing.
After the treatment, the elephant was revived from anesthesia using an intravenous injection of 48mgs of Diprenorphine Hcl in the superficial ear vein.
Although it faced some difficulty standing up, the elephant eventually walked away into the dense vegetation.
The outlook after treatment appeared optimistic, with a swift recovery anticipated due to the injury’s higher location on the body and minimal contamination, affecting only the soft tissues.
Loldaiga’s security rangers were promptly informed to monitor the recovery progress closely and report any need for additional treatment to the veterinary team.
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