Bee stings and tortoises

[Leopards]

Hi.....just joined......I did read some stuff on a thread here from people that thought it would not be an issue.

One of my Leopards(free roaming large plot ) bumped one of my hive boxes this morning and due to scent and temp the bees went on rampage......both my 25kg friends were running whilst being stung repeatedly.
I grabbed a veil and some gloves and hurriedly put them in the garage where they are now......eyelids swollen shut and not themselves.
For now I think that rest and recovery is what's needed as in the wild I guess this must happen.
Any suggestions?

Regards
Pete

 

[JoesMum]

Oh my goodness! That's awful. I guess that torts could suffer from anaphylaxis just like humans.

Multiple stings are not good. Do you have access to a good tort vet? I think you probably need to see one.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hi Pete
It's great to have another member that knows 1955 isn't a tire size !
Did you remove all the stingers , careful not squeez them ?

 

[Maro2Bear]

Im just throwing this out, but id venture that a good, long soak would help.

 

[Tom]

This is new for me. Never even heard of this happening before.

If they were stung hundreds of times, it might be an issue. If they were stung a few times, I'd bet they will be back to normal in a few days.

25kg leopards? Are you in South Africa?

 

[Leopards]

Thanks.......

Bees have settled and leopards stable and sheltered.....
I am getting in touch with a vet
Thanks for advice guys.....been a beekeeper all my life....indeed they got attacked severely triggered by the male I do believe.He is presently mating with the female and as usual it's a noisy process without passion
The dried senen and urine mix make him the smelliest creature around and I think this triggered the bees

 

[Leopards]

Sorry....yes I stay in RSA.....these are both separately rescued reptiles that are free foraging and I believe highly intelligent in their own way.They are healthy and energetic

 

[Leopards]

Yes.....the bath immersion trick I have used before and just used again.....they drank a huge amount of water afterwards and she ate a cotyledon leaf but his throat too swollen still
Just thought you guys would like to know

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

I like where I live, but I envy you being able to have those large leopards in their native territory.

I too thought of soaking the animal. For my kids I used to make a paste of baking soda, pat it on the sting then apply a cold compress. I imagine that would be pretty hard to do to a tortoise.

 

[diamondbp]

Hi and welcome to TFO. I'll ask my brother who is also a bee keeper to see if he recommends anything

 

[Tom]

Sorry....yes I stay in RSA.....these are both separately rescued reptiles that are free foraging and I believe highly intelligent in their own way.They are healthy and energetic

I've been to the RSA twice. Lived there for about four months in 2005. Love it. I was ready to pack up and go live there permanently, but the love of a good woman stopped me, so here I will stay. Your country is amazing and compelling. My first trip was to Johannesburg in 1998, and my second trip in 2005 was in and around Cape Town mostly, but we also went up the coast to George and the Wilderness Area too. In Capetown I got to spend time in Hout Bay, Tokai Forrest, Sommerset West, Kraafontain, Milnerton and more. Its a fantastic place. I met and worked with some amazing people and was treated like family.

I'm sorry to be welcoming you under these circumstances, but we'd love to see pics of your tortoises. I and several other people here keep the variety of leopard tortoise that you have there. Mine are only 6 years old now, so smaller than yours, but they have just started breeding and laying eggs earlier this year. When you have time, will you post some pics for us?

 

[Leopards]

Hi Tom

i certainly will in the near future.I stay south of Hout Bay by that beautiful lighthouse on the horizon!
Glad you enjoyed the country.....Nic our son doing Masters in Reptiles just returned from Karoo snake catching(for DNA) for Biodiversity Institute....he say many wild Leopards strolling around in the harsh heat I guess these guys get nailed by the bees in the wild every now and again so i am confident they will be fine soon.I took some thermal images of the female just now and her temp and thermal radiation signature seemed normal.

 

[Tom]

I stay south of Hout Bay by that beautiful lighthouse on the horizon!

HA! I've been to that lighthouse. Me and the girlfriend hopped the rail and walked out to the edge of the cliff to see where the two oceans meet. She told me that you could see a line where the waters meet and mingle and I din't believe her until I saw it myself. It was surreal.

Then she took me to Boulder beach where I swam in that cold water with the penguins and all the locals looked at me like I was nuts.

I was supposed to go do the shark dive with the great whites, but my Inn keeper frowned on it since she was also a diver and they chum the sharks to bring them in. Since she provided meals and hospitality for me, I let her talk me out of it. She made ox tail soup as a reward for me. Mmmmmm….

 

[Neal]

Good to have you on the forum. Glad to hear they seem to be alright.

Post pictures of them when you have the time!

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

Yeah, glad you are here and all the other happy stuff. Maybe an ounce of prevention. There is a constant reminder to not let dogs and tortoises mix. Seems like bee hive can be added to the list. A small easy to step over barrier around the hives sounds like a good idea.

To echo others an image or two would be fun to see.