WildLife Group
of the SAVA
On the 24th July 2002 a new Act was implemented – Animal Health Act (Act no 7 of 2002)
At present the Animal Health regulations state the following:
Table 2 - CONTROLLED MEASURES RELATING TO CONTROLLED ANIMAL DISEASES
Animal disease Nature, causal organism
and symptoms Susceptible
animals Controlled veterinary
act to be performed
Bovine Malignant Catarrhal
Fever Viral disease which can occur when
there is contact between cattle and
blue or black wildebeest and char-
acterised by affection of the mucous
membranes of the upper respiratory
tracts and intestines, as well as the
conjunctiva, with muco-purulent
discharge from the e and nose, en-
larged lymph nodes, emaciation and
high mortality of infected cattle Cattle and Blue or
Black Wildebeest Contact between cattle
and blue or black wilde-
beest shall be prevented
Recommended control measures
In absence of vaccine the only effective strategy is to limit contact between MCF susceptible species and the
natural hosts of the viruses. In the case of free-living wildebeest, the advice to remove cattle from the areas
where wildebeest are present, particularly during the calving period of wildebeest, In view of the fact that
epidemiological observations indicate that aerosol transmission does occur, the distance of separation between
the wildebeest and cattle should be as great as possible, at least 100 metre.
As the causal viruses are gammaherpsviruses their survival period outside the host is likely to be short and thus
infectivity on pasture will only survive for a short period, and will not be present after 48 hours of destocking
During culling operations the contamination of the veldt at the inspection point must be well managed and
strategically placed (e.g. not close to the neighbour border fences)
SHOT PLACEMENT
Nature Conservation input (Mr Michael Burmeister)
In the EC there are 3 main pieces of legislation that would govern wildebeest on game farms.
The Ordinance (old CPA regulations) states that any activity involving a wild animal requires a permit. For
example the sale and movement of any of the wildebeest requires a permit.
The Provincial Fencing specifications regulate how they are kept. Wildebeest are not classified as dangerous
game or as jumpers so they do not require the 2.4m game fence but only a standard height stock fence which is
1.4m.
Finally the NEMA: Threatened and Protected species regulations or TOPS regulations regulate black wildebeest.
Black wildebeest requires TOPS for any activity. The TOPS regulations also prohibit hybridization of any TOPS
species. This is why we do not allow both species on the same property unless they are separated by a fence.
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