A CRITICAL shortage of a specialist wild animal tranquilliser used in rhino conservation may soon be over. The drug — etorphine, is used to sedate rhinos who survived being poached or those being dehorned for their safety.
There has been a shortage of the tranquilliser for the past three years and conservationists are now hoping a deal announced in February by a pharmaceutical company, Elanco Animal Health, to sell its production line to another, Voluplex, and manufacturer Pharma-Q will end the crisis.
But while the sale, finalised this week, has been welcomed, there is still concern over the distribution of the drug, which is also used to dart other wildlife including elephant, giraffe, large antelope and wildebeest.
Environmentalist and wildlife vet Dr William Fowlds said the situation was dire and warned of massive consequences should the distribution process be delayed. He described the drug as one of the “biggest weapons used to save rhino”.
“There is already a critical shortage of this specific drug and similar veterinary drugs countrywide. It is bordering crisis levels and this could cause serious complications within the industry and could result in animals not getting the best medical treatment they need due to no drugs being available,” Fowlds said.
“At the moment, many vets are administering under the prescribed dosage or mixing the drug with another in an attempt to get the desired results. The fact is that vets are forced to use alternative combinations and are under-dosing animals in an attempt to save stock and supplies.
“For the last three years there has been a countrywide scarcity of drugs that are used to immobilise large herbivores. Vets literally treat these drugs like gold because they are just so scarce. Elanco Animal Health does not only supply the South African market but also other parts of the world; there will be a detrimental effect on them as well.”
On Wednesday, Elanco Animal Health regional director André Westerveld sent a circular to all vets saying they were selling the production line as it was not “not financially viable or sustainable” for a local production factory to be established for only one product.
Westerveld confirmed that the sale was concluded on Monday and that they would try to ensure minimum disruption during the changeover process.
Anthony Lesch, chief executive at Pharma-Q, which manufactures the lethal drug, said they had stock at a secure site but needed the supplier who then sells to vets to order.
“This is a very difficult drug to produce and each time we do so special arrangements have to be made. We have stock and we will be manufacturing from the new buyer as well,” Lesch said.
South African Veterinary Council legal affairs director Dinamarie Stoltz said they would only be able to comment next week.
Resource: TMG Digital
