Diary of a Veterinarian

12/08/2025

On this "WORLD ELEPHANT DAY" Why conserve Elephants?!!! Why care about such large beasts?!

Today, I can’t help but reflect on my own journey with elephants.
My first-ever wildlife patient was an elephant — I remember the awe, the sheer presence, and the realization that I was looking after not just an animal, but a living part of Africa’s heartbeat.

Over the years, I’ve come to see elephants as more than magnificent creatures. They are keystone species — shaping habitats, planting forests through the seeds they disperse, and creating waterholes in dry seasons that save countless wild animals, including human lives.

Yet, I’ve also witnessed the challenges they face:

Poaching for ivory, Elephant Mother's being poached for their ivory and leaving their babies to starve to death, snaring for meat...

Climate change that brings droughts, spreads diseases like Anthrax (Elephants are super vulnerable to Anthrax) , and shrinks their food and water sources.

Habitat loss — like a named controversial Hotel in Livingstone, built right in an active elephant corridor. It disrupted traditional movements and has led to more human–wildlife conflict in the area.

For me, elephants are not just part of my work — they are part of my story. Protecting them is protecting our shared future, our ecosystems, and a living legacy that must not vanish on our watch.

This World Elephant Day, I stand for the Ele.

07/08/2025

❗️Call for Applications-Czech government scholarships for Zambian students for academic year 2026/2027. Prospective students from 🇿🇲Zambia are encouraged to apply for the scholarship programme funded by the 🇨🇿Gov. The deadline for applications is 30/09/2025. See link below👇

Prospective students from Zambia are encouraged to apply for the scholarship programme funded by the Government of the Czech Republic. The

04/08/2025

Call of Duty (COD)

🐾 URBAN “VETFARE” – Livingstone Mosi-oa-Tunya Chronicles 🐾

Sometimes, the battlefield isn’t a war zone and "COD isnt always urban warfare Plays station games", it’s the thin line where human activity clashes with wildlife survival. This time, it was the streets of Livingstone bordering Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park (one of Zambia's smallest national parks and the only park with White Rhinos).

The Call:
A zebra foal had been struck by a speeding car, another tragic reminder that road users often ignore wildlife crossing signs. The mare, fiercely protective, never left its side.

The Operation:
We had to make a call, immobilise the foal for fracture repair. Darting had to be done in a way that kept the community safe, avoided spooking the mare, and allowed us to intervene, we also decided there was no need to immobilise the mare as well. It was a tense dance of timing and precision.

The Objective:
Remove cast and asses fracture healing from ealier intervention that was made. Monitoring was easy because the duo stayed within their usual range, but the fracture wasn’t healing as hoped. Weight bearing and suspected human-wildlife conflict (perhaps community chasing or forced pacing) had compromised bone alignment.

The Risk:
The second immobilisation was risky. The mare mock-charged my team, her maternal instincts on full display. Rangers had to hold the line as we assessed the wound.

The Decision:
Even though the would area was well vascularised, the bone alignment was out of place and from appearance the foal was in a tremendous amount of Pain, and a high infection risk, and compromised mobility all this meant the foal’s quality of life would deteriorate. After careful consideration, we made the toughest call in wildlife veterinary medicine - to euthanise the foal humanely.

Reflection:
Every intervention is a mix of science, courage, and compassion. This mission reminded me why road awareness near parks is not just a rule - it’s life-saving. It also reminded me of the unbreakable bond between a mother and her young, even in the wild.

02/08/2025

About Assistants and getting the Job done.
Assistants come in different forms others offer physical restraint, others just seat by offering emotional support and dressed in different forms as well😅 the confluence is love for our pawed buddies.

31/07/2025

Blood Smears & Elephant babies – A Delicate Dance in Diagnostics.

Collecting a simple peripheral blood smear from cattle (especially that cattle are tame and docile)O is already a precise process, but imagine doing it with an orphaned elephant calf that’s being raised for release into the wild. These gentle giants may look calm, but they are incredibly perceptive and they don’t particularly enjoy needles!

In the field, every step counts:

Identifying the right vessel (often the ear vein, but with elephants, that’s not always straightforward!)

Working quickly yet gently to minimize stress.

Keeping the team coordinated - because elephants remember everything!

Once the sample is collected, the fun begins, preparing that perfect smear on a glass slide. There’s something almost artistic about pulling the spreader slide at just the right angle, watching the blood film feather out, and letting it air dry in the open savannah breeze.

Why go through all this effort?
Because screening these rescued elephants for blood parasites like Babesia is vital. Blood-borne parasites can silently threaten their health and survival, especially in orphans whose immune systems may be compromised. Detecting them early gives these animals the best chance at thriving and eventually returning to the wild.

Every smear tells a story under the microscope-of resilience, of healing, and of the incredible journey from rescue to release.

23/07/2025

The shift from hunter's focus to healer's hands.

straddling two worlds:
The world of the wild, where instinct rules…
And the world of medicine, where every touch must be intentional.

Putting on these gloves isn’t just protocol — it’s a ritual. A reminder.
That even in the presence of power, we come to serve, not to conquer.

Grateful for this encounter.
Humbled by the trust.
And ready, always.

17/07/2025

A success story that took years in the making!
Proud to have been part of a team of Vets, NGO's and logistics Company and GRZ Departments who participated in the coordination and ex*****on.

🎥 Out Now! Film Premiere: Abashimba – The Return of Lions to Nsumbu 🦁
What does it take to bring back a predator — and what does it mean for the people and ecosystems they return to?

Abashimba: The Return of Lions to Nsumbu is more than a documentary about lion reintroduction and conservation success. It’s a story of cultural homecoming, ecological milestones, and deep-rooted collaboration. The film follows the rebirth of a national park, exploring the complexities of conservation and the profound connections between people, wildlife, and place.

Be one of the first to watch the film on YouTube and our Nsumbu team in action. Watch now: https://youtu.be/DoI2APa2xLk?si=CxUHc_kW4kETBa-w

# # About the project # #
In 2024, our teams in the Nsumbu Tanganyika Conservation Program reached a powerful milestone: lions were successfully reintroduced to 🇿🇲 Zambia’s Nsumbu National Park after more than a decade of absence. The reintroduction hinged on years of careful planning, extensive stakeholder engagement, and collaboration with partners.
For the people of Nsama Chiefdom — the Abashimba, or “clan of the lion” — this species holds deep cultural significance. Living next to Nsumbu National Park, their ancestral ties to lions are as strong as ever, and the film explores how conservation can honor both biodiversity and identity.

Conservation Connect Films | Department of National Parks & Wildlife | Wildlife Conservation Network | Lion Recovery Fund | The Wyss Foundation | JRS Biodiversity Foundation | | Rob Walton Foundation| Katz Foundation | GIZ,German International Cooperation | Royal Air Charters

15/07/2025

Of Leopards, Camera Traps, and Calvin Klein Cologne.

Had the incredible opportunity to spend time in the field, laying camera traps and setting up bait in the hopes of capturing one of Africa’s most elusive predators the leopard. 🐆

This was my first time working with Dusty a calm, grounded, and absolutely professional colleague in every sense. His experience and respect for the process made the work lighter and deeply educational - especially that I was curiously waiting with my drug concoction and a pole syringe in hand.

One of the most surprising lessons? Turns out Calvin Klein cologne isn’t just for date nights (baMojo), it’s used to mask human scent at bait sites. Leopards are incredibly sharp and stealthy animals. A single trace of frequent human activity, and they’ll vanish without a trace. But CK apparently throws them off just enough to give you a fighting chance.

I learned a lot about:

The art of bait preparation and careful placement.

The discipline of waiting, because with leopards, it’s always on their time.

How these cats often return to specific trees to rest and feed, meaning even tree selection matters.

Trapping a leopard isn’t just a game of luck — it’s a test of patience, precision, and understanding their behavior to the finest detail. Truly humbling. Learnt also how agile Leopards can be and how they remain a threat to themselves and human safety even when caged.
Oh yeah.. also got the excitement and comfort being driven "mundeke yapanshi, Landcruiser" this vehicle is a beast!

05/07/2025

Magnus Opus, Magnus Spinner.
Factor Dei.
God is faithful.

04/07/2025

One Might Ask… What Do Zebras and Rabbits Have in Common?!

A million-dollar question! And yes — their similarities go far beyond their kickboxing hind limbs, nibbly front teeth, or even their attitude.

The real connection lies deep in their anatomy and physiology. You see, both zebras and rabbits are what we call hindgut fermenters. It’s not just a fancy term — it means that, unlike cattle, goats, and other ruminants who digest food in their fore (four) stomachs, hindgut fermenters like zebras and rabbits do most of their digestion in the last part of their intestines, specifically in the caecum and large intestines.

This unique digestive system allows them to efficiently break down fibrous, cellulose-rich plant material — often better than cattle. But this strength is also their Achilles’ heel. Hindgut fermenters are very sensitive to dietary imbalances, particularly low-fibre diets, which can lead to serious physiological disruptions if not properly managed.

I recently had the privilege of performing two postmortems — one on a zebra in Chirundu, and another on rabbits from a farm in Chongwe. Despite the species difference and ecological contexts, the findings were strikingly similar: nutritional imbalances, especially fibre deficiencies, likely played a role in the unfortunate deaths.

In both cases, critical insights emerged:

In the zebra: Post-mortem revealed heart complications and septic shock, potentially linked to forage quality and supplementation issues in a semi-wild lodge setting.

In the rabbits: A suspected ear mite infestation, poor cage sanitation, and possible stress-related deaths underscored the need for structured health plans and better fodder diversity.

These cases reminded me that efficient digestion does not mean invincibility. Hindgut digesters require:

✅ Balanced diets (not just quantity, but quality)

✅ Low-stress environments

✅ Regular parasite and disease control

✅ Ecological awareness of their natural behavior and feeding habits

📌 Key Insight: Post-mortems are more than reports on death—they’re lessons about life we failed to protect.

Just a reminder that good nutrition isn't just about feeding — it's about understanding how each species digests and thrives.

Let’s move from reactive care to preventive and ecological veterinary strategies—whether we’re on a game reserve or managing a rabbitry.

19/06/2025

Me to my boss today!!!

15/06/2025

Alias Dr Lacoste.
Probably one of the hardest blood samples I have had to collect.
Nevertheless, we persevered.