Wounds in Kudu Antelope During Chemical Immobilization
The kudu is one of the most magnificent among the African antelopes, largely due to the male’s large, spiraling horns. There are two species of kudu: The lesser kudu (Tragelaphus imberbis) and the greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros). Female kudu have short horns, while the horns of the males grow up to 1.8 meters, the longest of any antelope. The greater kudu has a larger body size, with greater kudu males being the tallest after the eland).1,2 Lesser kudus are lighter in weight and shorter in stature.
The kudu’s coloration ranges from reddish-brown to blue-gray with white markings and 6 to10 vertical white stripes on their torsos and nose chevrons. Greater kudus have white forelegs. Greater kudus are common in Eastern and Southern Africa. They are widely distributed in Southern Africa, especially in the bushveld lowlands.1 The more elusive lesser kudu is common in the arid lowland thornbush of northeast and East Africa.2
Chemical Immobilization Risks
Chemical immobilization events carry inherent risks to wildlife regardless of size or species, but these risks are often more pronounced when dealing with larger species such as antelope in the field. During capture/chemical immobilization, these risks include such complications as capture myopathy, aspiration, dehydration, hypothermia, hyperthermia, respiratory depression and/or arrest and cardiac arrest.
One complication that may be considered less critical in this context, but which must be seriously considered, is that of wounds suffered during capture events. These can occur as a result of an animal attempting to flee prior to immobilization, as it loses physical coordination during take-down after darting or, rarely, from the darts themselves.3
Physical injuries are one of the most common threats to wild animals. In some cases, animals can incur severe injuries that kill them directly. In other cases, their injuries can affect them in ways that are indirectly fatal (e.g., reducing their ability to find food or to evade predators). Discounting human-related causes, these can come about as a result of myriad events, such as evading predators, fighting for mates or territory and accidents. Even when an animal doesn’t die as a direct or indirect result of an injury, it can be left in a permanently compromised state or with chronic pain.4
Antelope and Wounds
Antelope comprise approximately 91 of the 140 or so known species of the Bovidae and Antilocapridae families. They vary widely in size; for example, the small royal antelope weighs an average of about four pounds, whereas the eland weighs up to 1,800 pounds.5 Despite being extremely widespread in geography and diverse in size, behavior and habitats, nearly all antelope are large hoofstock, and comparatively large as regards species typically encountered by researchers and wildlife managers in the field. Additionally, all antelope are prey animals, and have evolved with instincts and behaviors gauged to help them survive.
Consequently, kudu will usually attempt to flee when approached in the field. Occasionally, this can result in injuries either before or after the animal is darted. If the approach by humans is protracted (e.g., a long chase), the risk of complications and injury can be increased manifold. When injuries occur, they are usually soft tissue injuries of varying severity.
Kudu and other antelope have developed a number of methods to deal with predators, the most noteworthy of which is their speed and agility. If a kudu cannot evade its pursuer outright, it may try to hide in areas that are difficult to access. Some will freeze in place to avoid being noticed, while others may stand their ground and defend themselves with their horns.4
Treatment of Wounds in Kudu
Most injuries in kudu that are connected with capture events take place when these animals are attempting to flee human pursuers,3 and the most common injuries suffered are lacerations. While remote drug delivery via the dart is unlikely to result in a serious injury, darting can on occasion result in minor lacerations. In some cases, an animal may need to be immobilized specifically for the treatment of a wound it has suffered due to other causes.
First, the wound must be cleaned. With small, shallow lacerations, this can be done by flushing with povidone-iodine or another scrub solution. Deeper wounds can be flushed with povidone-iodine diluted with saline, and should generally not be sutured to allow for drainage.3 High volume flushes are recommended with high-pressure irrigation unless the tissue is very delicate. The suggested lavage volume is 50 to 100 mL of fluid per centimeter of wound. Low-pressure irrigation is gentle to tissues and does not force bacteria deeper into the wound, but it does not debride as well as high-pressure irrigation, which can be performed with a pressurized fluid bag or a large syringe with an 18-gauge catheter.4
For suturing more superficial wounds that have been cleaned, a veterinarian should perform the procedure. If a veterinarian is not immediately available, non-absorbable sutures should be used.
Any kudu receiving a laceration prior to or during an anesthetic event should receive systemic antibiotics to reduce the likelihood of infection. Procaine penicillin G combined with benzathine penicillin G is a common formulation is these instances. Long-acting oxytetracycine is also frequently used to treat kudu that have suffered lacerations.4
With the inherent risks associated with chemical immobilization, there is no way to guarantee that injuries will not occur, especially under field conditions. However, the drug formulations currently available for immobilizing kudu and other wild species have been refined to a degree that eliminates much of the risk that existed years ago. With the right drug formulations, proper planning and safety precautions in place, experienced personnel can have the expectation of effective and incident-free chemical immobilization of kudu in the majority of cases.
3Kreeger T., Arnemo, J., Raath, J. Handbook of Wildlife Chemical Immobilization, International Edition, Wildlife Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Fort Collins, CO. (2002).
4vetfolio.com: Remote Injection Systems. https://www.vetfolio.com/learn/article/remote-inj...
5Friend, M., Thomas, N. J. Field Manual of Wildlife Diseases. In: Field Manual of Wildlife Diseases, United States Geological Survey, 361-368.
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