Why the Escaped Zebra 'Sero' Was Given 7 Shots of Anesthetic

Large Animal Anesthetics Not Imported Domestically
Concerns Over 10,000 Times Stronger Carfentanil Than Morphine Abuse

Last March, there was an incident where the Grant's zebra 'Sero' escaped from a zoo. At that time, the medical team administered sedatives and anesthetics a total of seven times to capture Sero alive. Some criticized this, arguing that stronger drugs should be used to reduce the number of administrations from an animal welfare perspective.

On the afternoon of March 23, firefighters attempted to capture a zebra that escaped from Children's Grand Park in a residential area of Jayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

According to data submitted by the Ministry of Environment to Eun-Joo Lee, a Justice Party member of the Environment and Labor Committee, there are 16 types of sedative and anesthetic components used in public zoos in Korea. Among these, the representative analgesics etorphine and carfentanil, used for large animals such as elephants, giraffes, and zebras, were not included. This is because they are classified as narcotics under the Narcotics Control Act and cannot be imported.

The efficacy of etorphine is 50 to 100 times that of morphine, and carfentanil's efficacy is 10,000 times that of morphine. Generally, as body weight increases, the strength or dosage of sedatives and anesthetics must be increased. However, with the blowgun-type anesthesia equipment that fires syringes by blowing air into them, the dosage cannot be increased beyond 5 ml at a time.

According to Yonhap News Agency, while the Ministry of Environment acknowledges the need for high-efficiency veterinary anesthetics from an animal welfare standpoint, it is reported to have taken a cautious stance, stating, "If post-management is inadequate and these drugs are used by humans or abused, it could cause serious social problems."

Zoos are advocating for the introduction of etorphine and carfentanil. These are practically useful anesthetics for large animals and can enhance anesthesia effects, allowing surgical procedures to be carried out effectively.

Industry insiders in the veterinary drug import sector also pointed out that since etorphine and carfentanil are not needed outside of zoos, profitability is not guaranteed. As of the end of last year, among 114 zoos in Korea, only eight have elephants and five have giraffes. There is also little need for powerful sedatives and anesthetics in capture operations that are not surgical.

Regarding the capture operation of Sero, the medical team reportedly used an 'appropriate' therapy method of administering sedatives and anesthetics multiple times, considering Sero's excited state. While this method increases the number of injections, it reduces the risk of death from anesthetic overdose.