Routine Health Checks

If you’ve watched the video above of Kariba calmly stretching out her trunk while her caretaker squirts water into it, you might be wondering what exactly is happening.

This is a trunk wash, a standard veterinary procedure used as part of a raft of pre-transfer health checks.

Kariba receives routine veterinary care at Pakawi Park, including annual health checks and disease screening. Despite some health challenges associated with age, she has consistently passed these screenings. Since the death of her companion Jenny in 2022, Kariba has been living alone, which reduces the likelihood of exposure to infectious disease.

Nevertheless, comprehensive pre-transfer testing is essential. Before any relocation can take place, Kariba must receive a clean bill of health confirming that she is fit to travel and does not pose a risk to other animals or to the care team.

These kinds of procedures require a lot of trust and positive reinforcement, and you can see here how Kariba lifts her trunk whilst her keeper introduces the water, before she gently spits it out. When the time comes, this sample will be sent to the laboratory for analysis. It’s important that she gets used to the procedure so that stress is kept to a minimum.

Kariba training for medical procedures at Pakawi Park in Belgium. Photo credit: GAIA