Field anesthesia of free-living mountain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei) from the Virunga Volcano region, Central Africa.
Twenty-six anesthetic procedures involving 24 free-living mountain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei) from Rwanda or the Democratic Republic of Congo were performed between February 1987 and October 1997. Sixteen procedures were performed to remove snares or to treat snare-related wounds, and four of the animals died without recovering consciousness because of their severe medical conditions. Ketamine was used for induction 19 times, tiletamine/zolazepam was used five times, and the agent was not recorded for two procedures. The mean (+/- SD) ketamine dosage for four animals of known weight was 7.1 +/- 0.9 mg/kg. All induction agents were delivered i.m. by remote injection, and mean induction times for ketamine and tiletamine/zolazepam were 5.5 +/- 2.6 min (n = 12) and 5.4 +/- 3.7 min (n = 5), respectively. Mean recovery times were significantly shorter with ketamine compared with tiletamine/zolazepam (42.0 +/- 24.9 min, n = 9 vs. 75.25 +/- 22.1 min, n = 4). Low hemoglobin oxygen saturation (mean = 86.7%) was recorded in three cases under ketamine anesthesia, and oxygen insufflation is therefore recommended to prevent hypoxemia. Gorillas induced with tiletamine/zolazepam had significantly higher respiratory rates compared with animals given ketamine. Successful anesthesia and recovery, in particular, depended on the assistance of local personnel.
Sleeman
J M
JM
Department of Clinical Sciences, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Colorado State University, Fort Collins 80523, USA.
Cameron
K
K
Mudakikwa
A B
AB
Nizeyi
J B
JB
Anderson
S
S
Cooper
J E
JE
Richardson
H M
HM
Macfie
E J
EJ
Hastings
B
B
Foster
J W
JW
D000758:Anesthesia / Q000662:veterinary*; D019162:Anesthetics, Combined; D000778:Anesthetics, Dissociative; D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D001831:Body Temperature; D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo; D005260:Female; D006071:Gorilla gorilla / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate; D007649:Ketamine; D008297:Male; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D012119:Respiration; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012432:Rwanda; D013992:Tiletamine; D015041:Zolazepam
D019162:Anesthetics, Combined; D000778:Anesthetics, Dissociative; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D013992:Tiletamine; D007649:Ketamine; D015041:Zolazepam; D010100:Oxygen