Rabies outbreak ravages a pack of wild dogs

HOEDSPRUIT – The current rabies outbreak in the Hoedspruit/Phalaborwa region, has seen a lot of jackal, impala, and tragically, a whole pack of wild dogs dying of the disease.

The wild-dog expert and researcher at the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), Mr Grant Beverley, together with visitors, Dr Simon King and Dr Sarah Dawson, witnessed the devastation that rabies had on this pack of wild dogs, denning in the Blue Canyon Conservancy, near Hoedspruit.

Beverley told Lowvelder that these dogs were the only resident pack in the Lowveld outside the Greater Kruger area.

According to Beverley, dogs have been known to occur in the Blue Canyon region for a long time. In May last year four males were captured and released in Balule Nature Reserve, and the others were shot. They managed to collar one of the males.

These dogs moved about until settling in the Blue Canyon Conservancy in 2014, where they met and joined two females. They are believed to have been resident in the area since at least 2012.

They have been living successfully on the reserve without illness up to the time of denning in late May this year.

Eleven puppies were born of this pack at the time.

During the middle of August only five wild-dog puppies were seen next to the Zandspruit road. Some of them were emaciated and quite unsteady on their feet.  Staggering or stumbling due to weakness in the hind legs is a common rabies symptom because the virus attacks the central nervous system.  Beverley added, “Most people know that foaming at the mouth is a sign of a rabid dog. It is muscle weakness of the mouth and pharynx that causes saliva to drool. That combined with excess saliva production in a feverish, sick animal with a mouth hanging open, causes the foaming appearance. But not all victims exhibit this. Some animals would be too dehydrated to show any actual foaming at the mouth.”

Wild dogs are arguably the most social and altruistic predators on earth, always licking and grooming each other. Saliva spreads rabies, so licking, grooming and sharing food, not just biting, are common modes of transmission. It is the altruistic and even affectionate nature of wild dogs that means one sick individual can expose the entire pack.

Two days after witnessing the death of two more pups, Beverley came across the carcass of one of the females. According to the signs in the sand, it was clear that she had convulsions before she died. He took her carcass for testing, and could confirm later that she died from rabies.

Some more sightings took place, but on August 26 the carcass of the collared male was discovered. His last movements, according to the readings received from his collar, showed that he had spent two days near the Leadwood fence and then moved approximately 1,5 kilometres to Zandspruit on Tuesday. By Wednesday, he had moved less than 100 metres to his final resting place in a shady spot on the riverbank,” according to Beverley.

Head of Veterinary Wildlife Services in Kruger National Park (KNP),Dr Marcus Hofmeyr, said no cases of rabies in any wildlife had been recorded. “This case is worrying. There is no immediate plan to vaccinate the dogs in the park, however it is critical that any stray dog or jackal displaying strange behaviour be reported.”

The state veterinarian in KNP, Dr Louis van Schalkwyk, added that a stray dog or jackal “would be the most likely source of rabies and those animals also pose a danger to people. We do support a sustained vaccination programme of domestic dogs throughout the country.”

A week later and with no further sightings, it is very likely that this important and genetically distinct group of wild dogs have disappeared entirely from the Lowveld.

“Rabies is not something that only occurs in rural villages or in feral animals. What we need is a ring of protection around our wildlife, a community effort to ensure vaccination, an effort that involves the awareness of everyone.  If we don’t, as a human population, do something to eradicate rabies from our domestic stock, we can expect to see a repeat of this incident in the future,” Beverley concluded.