On Call

Veterinarians play a pivotal role in game capture, wildlife research and disease control

- Bryan Havemann

Wildlife vets are the unsung heroes of modern conservation. What seemed impossible years ago has now become common practice in the game-capture industry. Half a century ago, it would have been unheard of to move whole families of elephants thousands of kilometres by road or to fly rhino halfway around the world in cargo planes.

The advancement of modern tranquilisers has meant that wildlife vets can keep animals under sedation for extended periods of time. State veterinarians also play a very important part in controlling the spread of diseases, and in most countries there are very strict veterinary laws that must be adhered to. In South Africa there has been strict control in the eastern part of the country, where foot and mouth disease is prevalent and where more recently Bovine Tuberculosis has been detected in a range of animals including white rhino – which means that there is a moratorium on movement of all wildlife that could possibly be affected. Constant research is being done to find vaccines that can counter the spread of these diseases. Other diseases like rabies, feline aids and anthrax are all endemic to the system, and the vets need to be very vigilant and proactive in dealing with outbreaks.