Late in the night, when Dr. Poghon was unavailable due to prior commitments, we made the decision to bring in experts from the SWT/KWS Sky Vet Unit the following day to tend to the poisoned elephant. Meanwhile, the SWT Super Cub unit conducted evening patrols to monitor the elephant’s condition and planned to repeat the surveillance at dawn. Preparations were also made for the arrival of Dr. Domnic Mijele, who would be flying from Nanyuki in the morning to provide treatment as the lead veterinarian for the SWT/KWS Mount Kenya Veterinary Unit.

Poghon   SWT/KWS Sky Vet Unit    Super Cub  SWT     Dr. Domnic Mijele  Nanyuki  SWT/KWS Mount Kenya

At dawn, the Super Cub took off again, signaling the start of the medical intervention. Despite challenging weather conditions, including heavy clouds and poor visibility, the team successfully located the elephant, which had now been joined by another bull. We decided to send Dr. Mijele to the SWT field headquarters at Kaluku via plane, along with all necessary equipment and support personnel. Additional resources, including harnesses, water, and a backup four-wheel drive vehicle, were prepared in case the elephant needed repositioning due to its injuries.

Upon arriving at Kaluku, Dr. Mijele immediately boarded a helicopter provided by the foundation and flew to the location where the ground team waited at a safe distance. The operation went smoothly with no complications. The elephant was darted from the air, and to everyone’s surprise, it charged toward the ground team before collapsing just in front of them.

Super Cub         SWT

With the assistance of vehicles, the team was able to reposition the elephant, allowing the veterinarian to quickly treat its serious injuries. Though the wounds had not penetrated the intestinal wall, they were infected by poison, and without intervention, this infection could have had fatal consequences. Dr. Mijele meticulously cleaned the wounds and administered long-acting antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication. After regaining consciousness, the elephant stood tall and walked away gracefully into the bush, full of energy.