Elephant Rescued From Poacher’s Snare at The Ol Pejeta Conservancy

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One of the many species that benefits from Ol Pejeta’s partnership with neighbouring Mutara, is elephants. Not only do they benefit from a safe passageway into the greater Laikipia ecosystem, but also from the help of Ol Pejeta’s expert wildlife team should an incident happen in Mutara. One young bull was certainly grateful for this help when his back left leg got caught in a snare that was tethered to a tree stump.Ol Pejeta wildlife rangers spotted the young male while on patrol in Mutara on the 28th August, and immediately called for assistance.

Snares, laid by local hunters often to catch antelope and small game, can cause devastating wounds on even the thickest elephant skin. The Ol Pejeta veterinary and wildlife teams, together with the Kenya Wildlife Service, rushed to the scene with a dart gun and a first aid kit – they were expecting the worst.

The arrow points to the spot where the young bull's leg was ensnared
The arrow points to the spot where the young bull’s leg was ensnared

Getting as close as 5 metres from the distressed bull elephant, the veterinary team quickly darted him with a strong tranquilliser. It was only when he was subdued that they could really assess the extent of the damage, and carry out a complete body condition examination.

Miraculously, the snare had caused almost no damage to his leg – and this was almost certainly due to the quick action of the Ol Pejeta rangers. No treatment was given, and the elephant came round just six minutes after being darted – slightly confused and groggy, but none the worse for wear. An excellent result for all involved.

The elephant comes round from the tranquilliser
The elephant comes round from the tranquilliser

 

Article courtesy of Ol Pejeta Website.

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