Anthrax outbreak in KNP

[Richprins]

"and an estimated 40-50 free roaming animals.”

Well, I can tell them for free there are at least 40...have seen them myself over the last three years in different locations...Vlakteplaas min. 8, Babalala/Boyela min.25, Nkulumbeni min.7

I wonder what a PROPER census would cost these days, as the government is raving about the value of censuses lately...

[Sprocky]

This would be impossible, as neither the animals or the census collectors are able to read or write.

[dup]

So at the end of the day SANparks admitted that somebody did not do his or her work. What about that?
I was willing to bet on that from the beginning.
I'am just happy that the Roan don't die of thirst , I'am not willing to bet on that.

[Richprins]

This would be impossible, as neither the animals or the census collectors are able to read or write.

Dup, SanParks admitted to nothing...what the Minister, or actually her speechwriters, say comes from Parliament or reaction to media!

Kruger said the buck died from anthrax, lied about the total, and said and measures would be taken in future...

[Toko]

MP Questions

QUESTION NO. 2752
INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 32 NW3398E
DATE OF PUBLICATION: October 2012

Mr N J J van R Koornhof (Cope) to ask the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs:

Whether there is any inoculation programme in place at the Kruger National Park to protect roan antelope against anthrax; if not, why not; if so, why was it not administered to prevent the death of 30 roan antelopes at the Capricorn rare antelope enclosure in August 2012?

Mr N J J van R Koornhof (Cope) SECRETARY TO PARLIAMENT
HANSARD

PAPERS OFFICE

PRESS

2752. THE MINISTER OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS ANSWERS:

No. Inoculation of free-ranging roan antelope against anthrax is no longer applied as a general practice in the Kruger National Park. The reason is that it requires darting of individual animals from the air by helicopter, subjecting them to excessive exhaustion and causing herds to split up. Disease control is however, managed through border and fence control jointly with the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The roan antelope in the Capricorn camp were not inoculated.

[Toko]

Media Release: Anthrax outbreak affects hippos in the Kruger National Park

[Richprins]

I've made quite a few calls:

Hippo have been known to die from Anthrax, but there has never been such an outbreak in Kruger.

Also, should this be the scale of the outbreak, indicator species such as kudu should have been dying in far greater numbers in that area, and this should have been very noticable.

It is still dry in the Letaba area, and rains may thus far not have been suficient to cleanse the anthrax spores.

Kruger vets are capable of confirming Anthrax via blood smear within 24 hours, so I don't know why results are still being awaited.

Personally, for me this is very strange!

[Richprins]

Recent info from an exchange student who was coincidentally at the scene reveals that some of the Roan carcasses were already over a month old when discovered!

[Lisbeth]

For animals on the way towards extinction in Kruger, they were certainly looked after well!!!

[Richprins]

They are the rarest large animal in SA!

Reports suggest there were a minimum of 58 in the camp, enough to start 3 flourishing herds upon timeous release. In the past at N'waswitshumbe camp up further North, (30ha) the herd would start not to breed further at just below 30 animals, with calf fatalities still unexplained, initialising release.