Snared and severely injured elephant treated
A young elephant bull with a deep wound on its right back leg has finally been traced and treated.
This is according to Eugene Troskie of Phalaborwa Natural Heritage Foundation (PNHF) who confirmed that the deep wound was a result of a snare. A photo of the elephant trended on social media. “The moment we became aware that there was an injured elephant on a Phalaborwa Facebook page, our directors went out to look for it.
“We also had Jana Meyer on standby from the Hope for Wildlife Helicopter Services and Dr. Joel Alves from Wildscapes Veterinary and Conservation Services from Hoedspruit who flew to Phalaborwa when we tracked the animal.” He said the elephant was darted at the Selati River where Alves treated the wound, cleaned out the maggots, and removed the snare.
Also read: Troskie’s advice on encountering wild animals
“The wound was really deep and by looking at the maggots, the wound was about two and half weeks old,” Troskie explained. He also added that the three- to a four-year-old animal could immediately stand on his leg after he woke up. After treating it they released it back into the wild.
He believes that the bull’s chance of survival depends on whether he can be reunited with his herd as he is still too young to be on his own. Troskie asked people in the vicinity of Foskor Mine, PMC, Waterboard, and Olifants River Boat Safaris to be on the lookout for the young bull. “
If you spot a young elephant that has a wound on its right back leg, please take photos and videos and send them to us. We want to know how he is doing.” He also asked community members to report any wildlife incidences to the PNHF to ensure a speedy response if needed. Call PNHF for any wildlife matters on 082 614 3688.
