On Saturday we were woken at 4am big the most incredibly loud thunderstorm and torrential downpour. This was not good. We were due to get up in an hour to start preparations for an elephant operation. Sleep and good weather was to be crucial.
Fortunately by the time we all met to begin the procedure the skies had emptied themselves, the weather was cool and dry – perfect conditions.
The operation was to be carried out by Kyiv Zoo’s own team of excellent vets, various Kyiv Zoo staff and the world renowned Professor Wiesner, Director and Head Vet from Munich Zoo. Wiesner’s German team consisted of another vet – Julia, and two elephant keepers – Robert and Andreas. They also had a film crew in tow.
Kyiv Zoo has one elephant – a big Asian Bull called Boy. For various reasons Boy’s toenails had become monstrously overgrown and needed trimming back to make them more comfortable for him.
The day started by giving Boy an elephant sized sandwich with some pre-anaesthetic tranquilizers secreted inside. Apparently it was a blackcurrant jam sandwich.
Whilst Boy was digesting his “spiked” sandwich we set up the equipment. Two enormous cranes outside the enclosure, drugs for the operation, industrial electric sanders for the toenails, straw to make him comfortable and all sorts of other equipment was laid out in order.
About an hour post-sandwich Boy was let out of his house. The Professor was lying in wait with a blow dart pipe at the ready. As soon as Boy appeared the Professor followed him with the pipe, and when the time was right – BANG – a perfect shot, right in the shoulder. But, there was a problem – the shot was good but the drugs were stuck in the syringe. Professor Wiesner reloaded, a keeper tempted the elephant near with a chunk of bread and this time it was good – the drugs were expelled from the syringe and could start to work their way round Boy’s immense body.
We waited quietly for about 20-30 minutes and Boy started to wobble, his eyes dimmed and the Professor sprung into action. He entered the enclosure and threw some huge straps through Boy’s legs. He tied some guide ropes around the legs and with the help of his keepers and Steve, started to help Boy to lie down in a good position. As soon as the elephant was down, we started working manically. Our vets covered the elephant’s eyes and set up their kit to monitor the anaesthesia and give additional medication. Professor Wiesner, his keepers, Steve and our keepers started with the electric sanders to bring the offending nails back down to size. Some of the nails were so big that they needed to be sawn off using a handsaw. The smell was terrible – like burning hair, dust and shavings from the nails were flying through the air like snow. I can’t describe just how bad the odour was, my clothes still smell of it and there are still bits of elephant toenail in my hair – it just got everywhere!
Halfway through the 4 hour operation we had to move the elephant. It’s not good for them to lie in one position for extended periods of time. How do you move a 6 and a half ton anaesthetised elephant? The cranes were lowered and the straps that were underneath Boy’s prone body were attached. We tied ropes to his legs, and as he was raised ungainly into the air, we pulled his legs into position for more manicuring, before the crane operators carefully lowered him back down again.
I was working mostly with Andreas to trim the feet pads, whilst Steve, Robert and other people continued to sand the nails back. When you trim elephant’s foot pads you have to be careful not to go too deep as it will bleed. Whilst I was trimming I saw a few tiny blood spots and started to worry that I had hurt the elephant. It turned out that I had skinned my knuckle and was bleeding on the elephant!
By about 1pm we had nearly finished so started to clear the enclosure. Everyone carried out the equipment, took away the straw bed and generally vacated the area. The vets gave the elephant the reversal drug and he started to wake up. As we watched, we could see that he was awake but having trouble coordinating his feet – he had spent the first half of the operation lying on top of one of his legs. Professor Wiesner got the hose pipe and gave Boy a drink and a wash down, but he still couldn’t get up. There were still crane straps underneath him, so Steve and the keepers started to pull the straps to support the elephant while he got up. It just wouldn’t work, so we attached the straps to the crane and gave him a lift back up to his feet. The Professor just chatted away to him in German and sprayed him with cooling water. Once we were all satisfied that the recovery was good, we decided it was time for a celebratory cup of tea. This was not to be the case – the team had to answer questions at a huge press conference. The whole operation had been filmed and watched by at least 100 journalists.
Once this was over, there was time for a quick shower and change of clothes before heading out to a restaurant with the Director of Kyiv Zoo for fantastic food, many beers and some Ukrainian vodka, much to the delight of the German Keepers. They were such nice people; we talked all afternoon about elephants, zoos and animals.
Amazing, successful day!
Fortunately by the time we all met to begin the procedure the skies had emptied themselves, the weather was cool and dry – perfect conditions.
The operation was to be carried out by Kyiv Zoo’s own team of excellent vets, various Kyiv Zoo staff and the world renowned Professor Wiesner, Director and Head Vet from Munich Zoo. Wiesner’s German team consisted of another vet – Julia, and two elephant keepers – Robert and Andreas. They also had a film crew in tow.
Kyiv Zoo has one elephant – a big Asian Bull called Boy. For various reasons Boy’s toenails had become monstrously overgrown and needed trimming back to make them more comfortable for him.
The day started by giving Boy an elephant sized sandwich with some pre-anaesthetic tranquilizers secreted inside. Apparently it was a blackcurrant jam sandwich.
Whilst Boy was digesting his “spiked” sandwich we set up the equipment. Two enormous cranes outside the enclosure, drugs for the operation, industrial electric sanders for the toenails, straw to make him comfortable and all sorts of other equipment was laid out in order.
About an hour post-sandwich Boy was let out of his house. The Professor was lying in wait with a blow dart pipe at the ready. As soon as Boy appeared the Professor followed him with the pipe, and when the time was right – BANG – a perfect shot, right in the shoulder. But, there was a problem – the shot was good but the drugs were stuck in the syringe. Professor Wiesner reloaded, a keeper tempted the elephant near with a chunk of bread and this time it was good – the drugs were expelled from the syringe and could start to work their way round Boy’s immense body.
We waited quietly for about 20-30 minutes and Boy started to wobble, his eyes dimmed and the Professor sprung into action. He entered the enclosure and threw some huge straps through Boy’s legs. He tied some guide ropes around the legs and with the help of his keepers and Steve, started to help Boy to lie down in a good position. As soon as the elephant was down, we started working manically. Our vets covered the elephant’s eyes and set up their kit to monitor the anaesthesia and give additional medication. Professor Wiesner, his keepers, Steve and our keepers started with the electric sanders to bring the offending nails back down to size. Some of the nails were so big that they needed to be sawn off using a handsaw. The smell was terrible – like burning hair, dust and shavings from the nails were flying through the air like snow. I can’t describe just how bad the odour was, my clothes still smell of it and there are still bits of elephant toenail in my hair – it just got everywhere!
Halfway through the 4 hour operation we had to move the elephant. It’s not good for them to lie in one position for extended periods of time. How do you move a 6 and a half ton anaesthetised elephant? The cranes were lowered and the straps that were underneath Boy’s prone body were attached. We tied ropes to his legs, and as he was raised ungainly into the air, we pulled his legs into position for more manicuring, before the crane operators carefully lowered him back down again.
I was working mostly with Andreas to trim the feet pads, whilst Steve, Robert and other people continued to sand the nails back. When you trim elephant’s foot pads you have to be careful not to go too deep as it will bleed. Whilst I was trimming I saw a few tiny blood spots and started to worry that I had hurt the elephant. It turned out that I had skinned my knuckle and was bleeding on the elephant!
By about 1pm we had nearly finished so started to clear the enclosure. Everyone carried out the equipment, took away the straw bed and generally vacated the area. The vets gave the elephant the reversal drug and he started to wake up. As we watched, we could see that he was awake but having trouble coordinating his feet – he had spent the first half of the operation lying on top of one of his legs. Professor Wiesner got the hose pipe and gave Boy a drink and a wash down, but he still couldn’t get up. There were still crane straps underneath him, so Steve and the keepers started to pull the straps to support the elephant while he got up. It just wouldn’t work, so we attached the straps to the crane and gave him a lift back up to his feet. The Professor just chatted away to him in German and sprayed him with cooling water. Once we were all satisfied that the recovery was good, we decided it was time for a celebratory cup of tea. This was not to be the case – the team had to answer questions at a huge press conference. The whole operation had been filmed and watched by at least 100 journalists.
Once this was over, there was time for a quick shower and change of clothes before heading out to a restaurant with the Director of Kyiv Zoo for fantastic food, many beers and some Ukrainian vodka, much to the delight of the German Keepers. They were such nice people; we talked all afternoon about elephants, zoos and animals.
Amazing, successful day!
Boy's horrible feet
Getting the cranes in position
Professor Wiesner getting the drugs ready
Manicure kit for elephants
Professor Wiesner and Julia getting everything organised
Andrei, our Head Vet with the Blow Pipe
Professor Wiesner firing the first dart
Boy getting a bit wobbly on his feet
Putting the leg straps on
Leg straps and horrendous feet
Crane strop in place
Boy starts to go under the anaesthetic
Steve keeps the strop in place while Boy sits down
Boy is down
Boy's eyes are covered
Robert starts sanding the toenails
The vets monitor Boy
Steve working on a foot
Steve with a piece of toenail
Steve sanding a toenail
Steve sawing a toenail
Andreas working on a foot
Robert and Professor Wiesner sanding and trimming
Getting ready to move the elephant
Going Up
Back down again
Andreas trimming a foot pad
Me trimming a foot pad
Professor Wiesner waking Boy up
Giving Boy a hand to get up
The Professor giving Boy a shower
Boy's new feet
The Elephant Team
Hi my name is jeromino xocoyotxin
ReplyDeleteI froom mexico city,
I love the elephant and is very important your care of the foot.
what time is your trimming the foot,
I´m sorry my englis is very, bad.