Articles
Knowledge is power! To assist you in your work, we have created several PDF articles which are free to download. If you prefer to receive one or more articles via email, feel free to send us a message. We hope our articles are of interest to you!
Below you can find several articles, divided over the categories 'Management', ‘Diseases and Health’ and ‘Nutrition and Body condition’. The last category is called ‘Post-Mortem case discussions’, in where we guide you through interesting cases we like to share with you. Hoover with your mouse over the photos to read a short summary of what you can find in the article, and click on the button below to view and/or download the PDF.
Management
Our capture procedure
Chemical immobilization of wildlife is an expensive and high-risk procedure that requires good preparation and awareness. This article explains our capture procedure.
Animals and cold weather
How do animals protect themselves against cold weather, and what can we do to help them? In this article we explain what measures you as a farmer can take during cold spells to minimise stock losses.
Pre-release boma
Releasing animals in a pre-release boma has many advantages, especially after a long travel time, or when being translocated in a big area. Read more about these bomas, and how to build them.
Game count techniques
A game count, or game census, enables you to determine trends in animal population density, farm stocking rate and the condition of your veld. In this article we describe how the various game count techniques can be conducted.
Genetics, Nutrition and Age, the driving forces behind quality trophy production
Trophy (horn or tusk) production is regulated by age, nutrition, and genetics. In this article we explain how these factors influence horn development.
Diseases & Health
Anthrax in wildlife
Read all about this infectious disease. How do animals (and people) get infected, what are the symptoms and how can you manage this disease? Anthrax can be deadly for people, if Anthrax is suspected, never open the carcass!
Rabies in kudu & eland #1: Implications to the game industry
Read more about this viral disease; how is it transmitted, what are the symptoms and how can you prevent a rabies outbreak on your farm?
Rhinovax®
Vaccination of wildlife is important to control many infectious diseases. Rhinovax® is a relatively new vaccine, formulated for the prevention of anthrax as well as a wide variety of clostridium infections. In this article we give more info about this vaccine.
Wildebeest and MCF (snotsiekte)
Malignant Catarrhal Fever (MCF), better known as snotsiekte, is a hot topic amongst Namibian farmers. In this article we discuss the disease, and we address the Namibian situation regarding MCF cases and the imposed legislation on game ranchers.
Pasteurellosis
Pasteurellosis is an acute and potentially highly fatal bacterial disease. A small trigger can set off an outbreak. In this article we discuss this disease, and what you can do to prevent an outbreak on your farm.
Rabies in kudu & eland #2: Herd immunity in rabies and Covid-19
We discuss several concepts such as herd immunity and social distancing, and explain the similarities and differences between rabies transmission and prevention compared to COVID-19.
Sand impaction and Sand ingestion: Silent killers
As the grazing deteriorates, animals are forced to graze down to ground level, which leads to some sand ingestion. In this article we explain more what sand ingestion/impaction is, what it can do to an animal, and how you can prevent it.
Winter... Pneumonia time!
As winter approaches, colds, flus and other respiratory diseases are on the rise. Pneumonia (Afr. longontsteking) refers to inflammation of the lungs. In this article we describe what a pneumonia exactly is, how you can recognize it, and how you can protect your animals against it.
Measles in game and livestock
A lack of proper field facilities forces people to defaecate in the bush, which can infect game and/or livestock with cyst-causing tape worms (also called meat measles). Learn what measles are, and what you can do to prevent them.
Rabies in kudu & eland #3: How vacination leads to immunity
We explain how immunity works and how animals and humans become immune to a disease after a vaccination and/or natural exposure.
Animal burn victims & First aid
In this article we focus on thermal burns in wildlife, livestock and pets. We explain what happens to the body when it gets burned and how to assess and treat wounds.
Nutrition & Body Condition
Change, the driver of feeding behaviour in (wild) animals
What influences feeding behaviour and food selection in animals? Knowledge about this process will help you to better understand and manage your game.
Feeding wildlife in drought
Droughts can have devastating effects on man and animal. Supplementing game is not so easy as livestock. In this article we provide information on how to manage your wildlife population during a drought.
Body condition - White rhino
An optimal body condition is important for an animals' wellbeing. In this article we explain how to measure the Body Condition Score (BCS) in rhinos. We show you photos of several conditions - from emaciated to fat.
Tannin toxicity in herbivores in Namibia
Plants excrete tannins to defend themselves from overgrazing/browsing. When animals keep eating these plants, they can create a tannin toxicity. In this article we explain what tannins are, how they affect animals and what you can do to prevent tannin toxicity.
Body condition - Antelope
Similar to determining the body condition score in domestic animals, we also assess different body regions in antelope. In this article we explain where you should look, and show you several photos of very thin to fat antelope.
Post-Mortem Case Discussions
In this section we present you Post-Mortem cases. Finding out why an animal has died, helps you to maintain the health of your herd(s), and to optimize your animal production. We give you the history of the animal, some PM photos, and then follow up with our opinion of the cause of death of the animal as well as management advise. If you find these interesting, have a look at our Post-Mortem course, and learn more about how to do a PM yourself.
Hoover over the photos to read a short text of what was wrong with the animal. Think for yourself, what could be the cause of death? Then read the article to find out if you were correct!
Sheep ram
The ram died during the night, with no obvious signs of illness. The PM revealed several abscesses, dark lungs and blood-tinged foam in the trachea (windpipe).
Sheep ewe
This ewe started showing signs of weakness, and could not stand up anymore. She died quickly afterwards. The PM showed dark lungs, and foam in the trachea (windpipe).
Roan heifer
This case happened during the drought of 2019. The roan heifer was acutely and severly ill, and died quickly. She was in a poor body condition, severly bloated and had cyanotic mucous membranes.
