CHEMICAL IMMOBILIZATION OF FREE-RANGING AFRICAN ELEPHANTS (LOXODONTA-AFRICANA) IN ZIMBABWE, USING ETORPHINE (M99) MIXED WITH HYALURONIDASE,AND EVALUATION OF BIOLOGICAL DATA COLLECTED SOON AFTER IMMOBILIZATION

Sixteen adult female free-ranging African elephants (Loxodonta african a) were immobilized in July 1990, using a mean (+/- SE) dose per anima l of 11.6 +/- 0.3 mg of etorphine (M99) mixed with a standard dose of hyaluronidase (4,500 IU), at the Sengwa Wildlife Research Area, Zimbab we, to attach telemetry and infrasound detection collars. The 16 eleph ants were reimmobilized in December 1990, using higher doses of etorph ine (standardized at 15 mg total dose) with hyaluronidase (4,500 IU), to remove the collars. The higher doses of etorphine produced more rap id inductions (P < 0.03) when significant outliers were removed. Biolo gical data were collected on both occasions. Significant differences i n selected measures that were indicative of stress, including lactic d ehydrogenase and aspartate transaminase, were seen between immobilizat ions. Comparisons were made of selected health measures between sample s collected in the early winter and late winter/early spring season in Zimbabwe. Significant differences were seen with total protein, album in, urea nitrogen, creatinine, calcium, magnesium, inorganic phosphoru s, chloride, and alanine transaminase.