Blood chemical and electrolyte concentrations in the mountain reedbuck Redunca fulvorufula

Concentrations of sodium, potassium, chloride, inorganic phosphorus, total magnesium, total calcium, iron, urea, creatinine, total protein, albumin, total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine transaminase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LD), creatine kinase (CK), gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) were determined in serum specimens collected from 53 free-ranging mountain reedbuck (Redunca fulvorufula) during live capture using nets. Considerable variations in the concentrations of the enzymes ALP, LDH, CK, GGT and AST were found as well as in the concentrations of creatinine, bilirubin and iron. This wide variation in results seriously questions the usefulness of similar blood investigations on heterogenous groups of mechanically restrained animals.