Staff at Veterinary Wildlife Services were very excited to demonstrate their good-as-new device.
Endoscopes for Elephants
Members of the Vaal Triangle Region are delighted to have funded the repair of a very important piece of veterinary equipment for the Kruger National Park’s Veterinary and Wildlife Services.
An endoscope consists of a long tube with a camera at the end. It allows vets to see an animal’s “innards” and organs without the need for invasive surgery.
Unique to the Kruger National Park, an endoscope must be long enough to reach from the mouth to the lungs of the largest bull elephants, so that lung health can be assessed and samples collected for TB diagnostics. It is also used on other animals affected by TB, such as lions and rhinos.
The repaired endoscope will be used to support the development of a blood-based TB diagnostic test for elephants, and to assess the prevalence of TB in elephants.
