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52 HF:ART RATE IMPLANTS. Wallace et a/.
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Table 1. Animal mortalities associatedwith a study involving surgical implantation ofheart rate and temperature transmitters in mountain sheepand
desert mule deer, 1990-91. PhaseI animals weresemi-tame mountain sheepand desert mule deer held at the University of Arizona Wildlife Research
Center. Tucson,betweenJan 1990 and Dec 1991. Phase II animals were wild mountain sheepcaptured from The SheepRange, Nevada,and held in a
3.2 km' enclosure,Desert National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada,between May 1990 and May 1992.
Phase I
Mountain sheep M 14 Aug 1990 118 Died after accidentally breaking leg in fence in Tuc- '
son
Mountain sheep F 29 Mar 1991 354 Died from peritonitis, from prolonged exposure of
open incision
Mountain sheep M 6 Sep 1991 526 Found moribund after termination of study. Died
because of long-term kidney failure
Mule deer M 28 May 1991 153 Asphyxiated on rumen contents during transport af-
ter immobilization
Phase II
Mountain sheep F I May 1990 0 Died during transport to Nellis Air Force Base
(NAFB) veterinary lab
Mountain sheep M I May 1990 0 Died after surgery and transport to and from NAFB
veterinary lab
Mountain sheep F 7 Jun 1991 <67 Found dead in field enclosure. Transmitters still
working
'Cause as determined from necropsy of animals or from examination of remains found at field mortality site.
preparation area. The garage for pre-surgery animal preparation and the ventral body wall also occurred when placement of transmitters was
workshop were cleaned and fitted with mobile lights, tables, and com- too near the mid-line where the weight of the rumen may have pushed
plete supplies to create a sterile field for surgery. All surgeries were them through the body wall. One transmitter still worked though it was
performed by the same surgical team at both sites. pushed through a herniation of the peritoneum and another worked
while hanging on the leads entirely outside the integument.
RESULTS Seven animals died during the study (Table I); 3 captive mountain
Captive mountain sheep (n = 5) were immobilized 13 times with sheep, I captive mule deer, and 3 wild mountain sheep. However, only
ketamine HCL (x = 6.0 ::t 1.4) and xylazine HCL (x = 4.3 ::t 0.8 mgi 1 death was attributable to complications related to implants. An in-
kg). Captive mule deer(n = 6)were immobilized 16 times with ketamine fection in a captive mountain sheep resulted from the exposure of a
HCL (x = 4.5 ::t 1.7) and xylazine HCL (x = 3.0 ::t 1.0 mgikg). The wound caused by the extrusion of a HR transmitter through the body
drug dosages we used were based upon our previous experience wall. The transmitter was till functioning so the wound was irrigated
(DelGiudice et al. 1989)immobilizing desert mule deer and mountain with saline, disinfected with povidine-iodine solution, the transmitter
sheep. Each individual captive animal could experience severalsurgeries replaced, and the wound sutured closed on-site. Because the animal
(X = 2, range = 1-6) to replace failed transmitters or determine causes would not permit handling without restraint we administered a I-time
of transmitter failures. injection of antibiotics, I gm chloramphenicol and 8 cc benzathine
Initial trials on the flat areas surrounding the Tucson study site sug- penicillin, and gave trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole orally with her
gested that reliable HR and temperature signals could be detected for food. Despite treatments the ewe died 25 days later of peritonitis. One
$0.5 km. In the steep terrain that is characteristic of mountain sheep wild mountain sheepdied while unattended during transport to surgery
habitat in Nevada, signals were reliably detected $1.3 km. However, in 1990. A second was alive after surgery and release at enclosure site
it was essential that a direct line-of-site betweentransmitter and receiver but exhibited opisthotonus, rear limb weakness,and inability to stand.
be maintained. Any solid obstacle severely reduced reception. This animal died before further assistancecould be rendered. The car-
Reasons for transmitter failures or complications related to implants cass of a third wild mountain sheep was found 29 days after surgery
are reported only for captive animals because we did not recapture and releasebut cause of mortality could not be determined. The captive
animals in Nevada. Early failures ($ 38 days) of HR (n = 7) were due mule deerasphyxiated on his rumen contents during transport to surgery
to leads breaking or disconnecting from transmitters (x = 8.3, range = after immobilization and could not be revived. One captive mountain
2-38). Seven transmitters short-circuited (x = 261.43 ::t 60.14 [SE] days, sheepdied after accidentally breaking his leg in a fence and the other
range = 126-509 days)becausebody fluids leaked into them along HR was found moribund 4 months after the conclusion of the study. Nec- ,
leads. Nine transmitters were still functioning when they were removed, ropsy determined his death was due to long-term kidney failure.
5 (x = 129.60 ::t 41.87 days, range = 90-153) from animals that died DISCUSSION .
and 4 (x = 131.50 ::t 16.19 days) from healthy animals that were re- .
moved from the study for other uses.Transmitters were still functioning This is I of the largest known samples of surgically implanted bio-
in I captive mountain sheep (456 days)and I wild sheep(328 days) at telemetry transmitters into wild ruminants. Effective ranges of trans-
the end of this study. mitters were adequate for our studies of animal heart rates, tempera-
Heart rate and T transmitters that were implanted too near the mid- tures, and behaviors in large enclosures.
line were engulfed by the weight of the rumen. The HR leads for a Complications encountered during implant surgeries included pro-
mountain sheepfound in the abomassumwere digested and failed after found bradycardia, including 1 mule deer that had to be completely
145 days, while those of a mule deer found in the rumen were still resuscitated, and slow recovery from immobilization. Bradycardia oc-
functioning after 195 days. Temperature transmitters in both animals curred only while animals were deeply under halothane anesthesia.To
were still functioning properly, though the paraffin-elvax coatings were counteract this problem yohimbine (x = 0.23 mgikg) was administered
partially digested. Herniation or extrusion of transmitters through the immediately after halothane induction and atropine was administered
DESERT BIGHORN COUNCIL 1992 TRANSACTIONS 53
after xylazine reversalif neededto speedup heart rate (Booth and temperatureand heartratemonitoringin desertbighornsheep.Desert
McDonald 1988). BighornCounc.Trans.33:1-5.
Modificationsweremadein handlingprotocolsthat wereeffectivein Cassirer,E. F., V. B. Kuechle,and T. J. Kreeger. 1988. Optimum
speedingrecoveryfrom immobilization and anesthesia.The most ef-placement ofelectrodesfor heartratetelemetry.Biotelemetry10:311-
fectivecombinationwefoundwasIV administrationofyohimbineHCL 316.
(x = 0.23mg/kg)immediatelyafterinductionbyhalothaneto counteract DelGiudice,G. D., P. R. Krausman,E. S. Bellantoni,R. C. Etchberger,
the xylazine.We administereddoxapramHCL (x = 2.42 mg/kg)(IV) and U. S. Seal. 1989. Reversalby tolazolinehydrochlorideofxy- I
asa respiratorystimulantto help eliminatehalothane(McGuirk et al. lazinehydrochloride-ketamine hydrochlorideimmobilizationsin free-
1990)and naloxoneHCL (x = 0.44 mg/kg)as a narcoticreversalagent rangingdesertmule deer.J. Wildl. Dis. 25:347-352.
(Boothand McDonald 1988)uponrelease.Maloxonewas given even Fletcher,J. L. 1988. Reviewof noiseand terrestrialspecies:1983-
, thoughno narcoticswereusedbecauseevidencesuggests that ketamine 1988.Specialsourcesand issues.Proc. 5th Int. Congr.on Noiseasa
HCL may act on the sameopiate receptorsites(Boothand McDonald Public Health Hazard,Stockholm: SwedishCounc. for Buil. Res.
1988). 2:181-183.
EarlyfailuresofHR transmittersdueto leadbreakagewerecorrected -, and R. G. Busnel,eds. 1978. Effectsof noiseon wildlife. Ac-
.by modifyingthe surgicaltechniqueafter Bunchetal. (1989).Reference ademicPress,NewYork, N. Y. 305pp.
and measurementleadswere not suturedin place but, werewrapped Harlow, H. J., E. T. Thorne,E. S. Williams,E. L. Belden,and W. A.
with additionalstainlesssteelsutureand left unfastenedin situ before Gem. 1987. Cardiacfrequency:a potentialpredictorof blood cor-
suturingthe incision.Failuresdueto fluids seepingthroughthe paraffin- tisollevelsduringacuteand chronicstressexposurein RockyMoun-
elvaxencapsulant werenot remediedduring this study.Promisingnew tain bighorn sheep(Ovis canadensiscanadensis). Can. J. Zool. 65:
transmitterencapsulants, that shouldsolvethis problem,are currently 2028-2034.
beingtested(TelonicsInc. Mesa,Ariz.). Maximum batterylife for the Jacobsen,N. K., and J. L. Stuart. 1978. Telemeteredheart rate as
transmittersusedin this studyis not yetknown. However,2 HR trans- indicesof physiologicaland behavioralstatusof deer.Pages248-255
mitters are still working after 328 and 456 days,respectively.Signals In PECORAIV: Applicationof remotesensingdatato wildlife man-
from the I temperaturetransmitter still implanted becametoo inter- agement.Nat. Wildl. Fed.,Sci.and Tech.Ser.3, SouixFalls,S. Dak.
mittent for accurateuse after 310 days. We do not know why this -, J. L. Stuart,andC. J. Sedgwick. 1981. A scanningor contin-
transmitterfailed becausethis semi-freemountainsheephas not been uousmicro-processor controlledeventrecorderfor telemetrystudies.
recaptured. Int. Conf. on Wildl. Biotelemetry3:58-68.
Sterile surgicalproceduresare essentialto successful
use of this new MacArthur,R. A., R. H. Johnston,and V. Geist. 1979. Factorsinflu-
technology.Our modified surgicalprotocolsworked well. Heart rate encingheartrate in free-rangingbighornsheep:a physiologicalap-
data canbe collectedunderfieldconditions.However,transmittersstill proachto the study of wildlife harassment.Can. J. Zool. 57:2010-
failed becauseof encapsulant leakage. 2021.
LITERATURE CITED -, V. Geist,and ~. H. Johnston. 19.82.Cardiacan~ behavioral
responses of mountaInsheepto humandisturbance.J. Wlldl. Manage.
AmericanSocietyof Mammalogists. 1987. Acceptablefield methods 46:351-358.
in mammalogy:preliminary guidelinesapprovedby the American McGuirk,S. M., R. M. Bednarski,andM. K. Clayton. 1990. Bradycar-
Societyof Mammalogists.J. Mammal. 65:4,Suppl. 18pp. dia in cattledeprivedof food.J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc.196:894-896.
Bomford, M., and P. H. O'Brien. 1990. Sonic deterrentsin animal Mech,L. D., G. D. DelGiudice,P. D. Karns,and U. S. Seal. 1985.
damagecontrol:a reviewof devicetestsandeffectiveness. Wildl. Soc. Yohimbinehydrochlorideasan antagonistto xylazinehydrochloride-
Bull. 18:411-422. ketaminehydrochlorideimmobilizationof white-taileddeer.J. Wildl.
Booth,N. H., and L. E. McDonald,eds. 1988. Veterinarypharma- Dis.21:405-410.
cologyand therapeutics.Sixth ed. Iowa State Univ. Press,Ames. Sapolsky,R. M. 1990. Stressin the wild. Sci.Am. 1990:116-123.
I 227pp. Ward,A. L., andJ. J. Cupal. 1979. Telemeteredheartrateof threeelk
Borg, E. 1981. Physiologicaland pathogeniceffectsof sound.Acta as affectedby activity and humandisturbance.Pages47-56 In Dis-
Oto-Laryngol.Suppl.381:1-68. persedrecreation and naturalresources management. UtahStateUniv.,
Bunch,T. D., G. W. Workman,and R. J. Callan. 1989. Remotebody Logan. .
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