ARTERIAL BLOOD-PRESSURE IN ANESTHETIZED AFRICAN ELEPHANTS

A number of elephants previously captured in the Kruger National Park developed a pink frothy discharge from the external nares. Some of the se elephants subsequently died and histopathological examinations indi cated severe lung oedema. In view of the current hypothesis that high blood pressure could be a causative factor, arterial blood pressure wa s measured in elephants immobilized with etorphine alone (n = 71) and with etorphine/azaperone (n = 109) and carfentanil/azaperone (n = 26) mixtures. Arterial blood pressure was found to be significantly lower in the groups immobilized with azaperone mixtures than in the group im mobilized with etorphine alone (p < 0,05). In addition, no cases of lu ng oedema were observed in animals immobilized with etorphine/azaperon e and carfentanil/azaperone mixtures. It is strongly recommended, ther efore, that azaperone be added to immobilization mixtures when elephan ts are subjected to herding prior to darting.