Research overview: capture myopathy risk in felid immobilization

Capture myopathy, a potentially fatal syndrome of muscle damage arising from the stress, exertion, and physiologic derangement of capture and restraint, is a recognized risk when immobilizing wild felids, particularly when pursuit is prolonged or animals struggle and overheat. Muscle breakdown can cause kidney injury, weakness, and death hours to days after an apparently successful capture. This overview synthesizes the wildlife-medicine literature rather than one source, describing the pathophysiology linking stress and exertion to muscle injury, why minimizing chase time, controlling body temperature, and smooth induction reduce risk, and how recognition shapes capture protocols. It matters because capture myopathy can turn a routine immobilization into a delayed tragedy, making its prevention a central concern in the chemical capture of big cats.