Webinar

The art of immobilising elephants: Case studies on different sub species

Veterinary professionals
Pharmacists

Wildlife Veterinary Medicine

This comprehensive webinar brings together expert perspectives on the immobilisation of elephants, covering both captive and free-ranging populations. Topics include the unique characteristics of different elephant species, species-specific considerations in anaesthesia, case studies from captive management, best practices for wild African elephant immobilisation, and the particular challenges of working with forest elephants in remote and demanding environments. The session offers valuable, practical knowledge for anyone involved in elephant anaesthesia and conservation medicine.
 English only
  Veterinary professionals (target audience), Pharmacists
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Why should I take this course?

  • Learn species-specific drug protocols, darting techniques, and monitoring strategies for Asian, savanna, and forest elephants
  • Understand the physiological and behavioural risks unique to each subspecies, including respiratory depression and musth
  • Apply real-world knowledge from expert-led case studies to improve safety, precision, and animal welfare during immobilisation

Course Lessons

Meet your instructor

Dr. Cobus Raath

Dr. Cobus Raath earned his BVSc degree from the University of Pretoria’s Onderstepoort Veterinary Faculty in 1985. He began his career as Head Veterinarian for SANParks in Kruger National Park, where he spent 11 years developing systems and management plans still in use today. After establishing a private wildlife veterinary practice, he recognised the global need for conservation medicines and founded Wildlife Pharmaceuticals (Pty) Ltd in 1997. Committed to advancing wildlife health and conservation, Dr. Raath remains actively engaged in research, industry development, and international training, sharing his expertise through wildlife immobilisation courses worldwide.


Meet your instructor

Dr. Aleksandr Semjonov

Dr. Aleksandr Semjonov is a veterinary anaesthesiologist, senior lecturer, and chief clinical officer at the Estonian University of Life Sciences. Based in Estonia, he works globally with zoo and wildlife species, focusing on novel anaesthetics and long-term anaesthesia for surgical procedures. His PhD research investigated the use of a butorphanol-azaperone-medetomidine combination in African wildlife. Dr. Semjonov specialises in the anaesthesia of carnivores, large ruminants, giraffes, elephants, and marine mammals.


Meet your instructor

Dr. Joel Alves

Dr. Joel Alves graduated from the University of Pretoria’s Onderstepoort Veterinary Faculty in 2016 and completed his community service in the Lowveld in 2017. He later joined WildlifeVets.com before co-founding Wildscapes Veterinary & Conservation Services in Hoedspruit with Dr. Ben Muller. Passionate about conservation beyond veterinary practice, Dr. Alves is a member of the African Lion Working Group and serves on the board of trustees for the Lion Management Forum of South Africa. His career highlights include leading a large-scale dehorning operation of over 230 white and black rhinos in private reserves adjacent to Kruger National Park and collaring forest elephants in the Republic of Congo.


Meet your instructor

Dr. Richard Harvey

Dr. Richard Harvey is a wildlife veterinarian with a background in emergency medicine and military veterinary practice. He works extensively with African NGOs and governments on wildlife capture and translocation, field surgery, and the logistical management of large-scale operations involving species such as rhino, elephant, giraffe, cheetah, lion, and antelope. With a special interest in large animal anaesthesia and conservation medicine, he has played a key role in forest elephant conservation, undertaking field missions across Gabon, Congo, Cameroon, Angola, Ivory Coast, and Benin. His work addresses the unique challenges of immobilising forest elephants in remote, difficult terrain and politically unstable regions.