Personal experiences in the use of Zoletil® for anaesthesia of the red-necked wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus)

The successfully capture and handling of wild animals often relies on chemical restraint in order to reduce stress related to these procedures. Anaesthetic and sedative agents should have a wide safety margin overall when used on stressed animals. The drugs should also allow fast induction and recovery times to minimise the possibility of self-inflicted injury from impaired coordination and disorientation. Eight wallaby red necked (Macropus rufogriseus) received i.m. 12,92 ± 2,1 mg/kg of a commercial association of Tiletamine/Zolazepam (Zoletil 100®), which seems to induce an adeguate and smooth immobilization in 1’55”. The injection was given using a blow dart. The used posologies allow not only the patient handling, but diagnostic/surgical manipulations even painful. Animals raised the head after a mean time of 66 ± 29.7 min from injection. The sialorrhoea side effect could be easily controlled with atropine sulphate (0.03 ± 0.01 mg/kg). These experiences show that this anaesthetic method is suitable for anaesthesia of wallaby red necked.