Abstract:
The objective of this study was to gain better insight into factors associated with the
capture-related mortality rate in cheetahs. A link to an online questionnaire was sent to
zoo and wildlife veterinarians through the Species Survival Plan Programme and
European Endangered Species Programme coordinators and via the ‘Wildlife VetNet’
Google group forum. The questionnaire consisted of 50 questions relating to the
veterinarians’ country of residence and experience, the medicine combinations used,
standard monitoring procedures, capture-related complications and mortalities
experienced in this species under different capture conditions. In addition, necropsy data
from the national wildlife disease database of the National Zoological Gardens of
South Africa were examined for cases where anaesthetic death was listed as the cause of
death in cheetahs. A total of 75 veterinarians completed the survey, with 38 from African
countries and a combined total of 37 from Europe, the United States (US) and Asia.
Of these, 24% (n = 18/75) had experienced at least one capture-associated cheetah
mortality, with almost all of the fatalities (29/30) reported by veterinarians working in
Africa. A lack of anaesthetic monitoring and the absence of supplemental oxygen were
shown to be significant risk factors for mortality. Hyperthermia, likely to be associated
with capture stress, was the most common reported complication (35%). The results
suggest that free-ranging rather than habituated captive cheetahs are particularly at risk
of dying during immobilisation and transport. The capture-related fatalities in this species
do not appear to be associated with either the veterinarian’s level of clinical experience or
the immobilisation agents used.
