Abstract

Conservation and research of the elusive snow leopard (Panthera uncia) have been hampered by inadequate knowledge about its basic life history. Global positioning system (GPS) collars can provide useful information, but there has been limited information available on safe capture methods, drug doses, and efficacy for effective immobilization of free-ranging snow leopards. We describe a drug protocol using a combination of medetomidine and tiletamine-zolazepam for the chemical immobilization of free-ranging snow leopards. We also describe physiologic responses to immobilization drugs, including rectal temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, and relative hemoglobin oxygen saturation (SpO(2)) recorded every 10 min. Our study was carried out in the Tost Mountains adjacent to the Great Gobi Desert, in southern Mongolia, between August 2008 and April 2012. Eighteen snow leopards were captured or recaptured with foot-snares on 42 occasions and anesthetized for marking with GPS collars. The snow leopards received on average (+/- SD) 0.020 +/- 0.04 mg/kg body mass medetomidine and 2.17 +/- 0.45 mg/kg tiletamine-zolazepam. The duration of ensuing anesthesia was 69 +/- 13 min, including an induction period of 10 (+/- 4) min. Anesthesia was reversed with 4 mg (0.10 +/- 0.04 mg/kg) atipamezole administered intramuscularly. The mean value for SpO(2) for the 37 captures where we could record physiologic values was 91 +/- 4. The SpO(2) increased significantly during anesthesia (+0.06 +/- 0.02%/min), whereas rectal temperature (average 38.1 +/- 0.7 C/min, change -0.04 +/- 0.003 C/min), heart rate (average 97 +/- 9 beats/min, change -0.20 +/- 0.03 beats/min), and respiratory rate (average 26 +/- 6 breaths/min, change -0.11 +/- 0.03 breaths/min) decreased significantly. A dose of 80 mg tiletamine-zolazepam (2 mg/kg body weight) and 0.72 mg medetomidine (0.02 mg/kg body weight) safely immobilized all adult and subadult snow leopards (weight 25-45 kg) in our study. All measured physiologic values remained within clinically acceptable limits.

Keywords

Anesthesia; capture; drug dose; Mongolia; physiology; vital rates

Published in

Journal of Wildlife Diseases
2013, Volume: 49, number: 2, pages: 338-346
Publisher: WILDLIFE DISEASE ASSOC, INC

SLU Authors

• Johansson, Örjan

  • Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Malmsten, Jonas

  • Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Zoology
Other Biological Topics


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7589/2012-02-049

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/55996