Novel immobilising drug combinations

A team from UP’s Faculty of Veterinary Science, in collaboration with the Brain Function Research Group at Wits University and the SANParks Veterinary Wildlife Services team, conducted research in the Kruger National Park to find new combinations of drugs for immobilizing animals.

Novel immobilising drug combinations : One of the lions that was part of the research project to improve the quality of immobilisation (anaesthesia) and recovery.

Novel immobilising drug combinations : The blood pressure of a lion is measured from a catheter in the dorsal metatarsal artery. The trace shows the pulse pressure wave form, and the numbers indicate the measured pressures and heart rate. The pressure of this lion is elevated, which is an effect of the drug combinations used in the animal.

A team from UP’s Faculty of Veterinary Science, in collaboration with the Brain Function Research Group at Wits University and the SANParks Veterinary Wildlife Services team, conducted research in the Kruger National Park to investigate novel immobilising drug combinations to facilitate the capture of 36 free-ranging lions for conservation management, monitoring and research purposes. The study forms part of postgraduate student Ashleigh Donaldson’s PhD at UP.
One of the lions that was part of the research project to improve the quality of immobilisation (anaesthesia) and recovery.
The blood pressure of a lion is measured from a catheter in the dorsal metatarsal artery. The trace shows the pulse pressure wave form, and the numbers indicate the measured pressures and heart rate. The pressure of this lion is elevated, which is an effect of the drug combinations used in the animal.

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