Rabies continues its advance.
Back in the saddle again after a short break, and the news is not good.
Before I went away, a baboon was following a game scout on his patrol. This was very weird behaviour and the baboon was subsequently shot. The baboon tested positive for rabies!
On Sunday a hyaena was running rampant in one of the scout pickets biting at everything. They managed to shoot this hyaena too. More than likely another rabies victim.
This is getting quite scary now that other animals are being infected.
Reserve management are now planning to inoculate as many hyaenas as possible and then also the lions. This is going to quite some undertaking.
I found the Mupanigawa pack this afternoon on a young male impala kill. All 9 dogs were there, but Club was not joining in in the feeding and her stomach was totally withdrawn. She did on a couple of occasions approach the carcass but the other dogs attacked her. This was the first time that I’d seen the other dogs turn on a rabid one.
But it was not this behaviour that was keeping her from feeding. She battled to chew and swallow even the tiniest of pieces of meat lying around. The rabies virus affects that part of the brain, which controls the tongue. It causes paralyses and prevents swallowing. Typically the result of this is the animals salivate a lot, but I haven’t seen any of this in the wild dogs.
To save the rest of the pack, I again had to make the terrible decision to put Club down, as she is now a dangerous infectious source for the rest of the pack.
And things don’t look good for the other 8 members. Another Alpha pup was possibly showing the beginning signs of infection but I had to spare it. Of course I want to give all the dogs the chance to survive but I also want to save all the dogs from infection by those going down. It will always be a tough choice.
And Cracker-Jack might also be showing the first signs of infection.
Being back on the range I will again be keeping a close watch on our pack.
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