IMMOBILIZATION OF JUAN-FERNANDEZ FUR SEALS, ARCTOCEPHALUS-PHILIPPII, WITH KETAMINE-HYDROCHLORIDE AND DIAZEPAM

During November and December of 1988, 1990, and 1991, a total of 22 fr ee-ranging Juan Fernandez fur seal (Arctocephalus philippii) females f rom Alejandro Selkirk Island, Juan Fernandez Archipelago, Chile, were immobilized with a combination of ketamine and diazepam. Atropine sulp hate was used to decrease respiratory secretions. The mean (+/- SD) in duction dosages of ketamine and diazepam were 3.64 +/- 1.3 mg/kg and 0 .12 +/- 0.07 mg/kg, respectively Mean (+/- SD) induction time and time to recovery for females injected intramuscularly (IM) (15 +/- 7 min a nd 47 +/- 16 min) were significantly greater than for females injected intravenously (IV) (0.6 +/- 0.4 min and 26 +/- 11 min). Mean (+/- SD) heart rates and core temperatures were significantly higher for femal es injected IV (173 +/- 15.71 beats/min and 37.6 +/- 0.83 C) than for females injected IM (135 +/- 27.06 beats/min and 36.5 +/- 1.15 C). In addition, the IV route resulted in better levels of immobilization com pared to the IM route. The degree of immobilization was not related to the dosages of ketamine and diazepam administered. Two animals died a fter drug administration.