Farmers and veterinarians are concerned about unexplained exceptionally high giraffe mortality in parts of the country. Some farms have reported more than twenty deaths, but the number can be even higher, as not all carcasses are discovered or reported.

Wildlife Vets warned that any unexplained deaths, especially in large numbers across such a widespread area, should be treated as a serious concern.

According to Namibian Wildlife Vets, farmers started unexplained deaths since mid-April. They reported that mostly adult giraffes, but also a number of young females were found dead.

The farmers reported that the giraffes seemed sick or displayed abnormal behaviour that lasted from a few hours up to seven days, according to Wildlife Vets.

Signs

Wildlife Vets warned that any unexplained deaths, especially in large numbers across such a widespread area, should be treated as a serious concern.

Farmers reported excessive drooling and discharge from the eyes, with some giraffes even appearing blind. Some giraffes had drooping ears, while others had skin lesions. The animals stood motionless in the bush and did not respond to other giraffes or approaching vehicles. Some appeared intoxicated and stumbled over bushes and fences.

Affected area

The affected giraffes were reported over an extensive area. According to Wildlife Vets, mortalities were reported from the west and north of Okahandja, extending to the Omaruru and Waterberg areas. There were also reports from farms southwest, south, and east of Okaukuejo, Etosha National Park, Outjo, and stretching towards Maroelaboom.

Some farms reported more than 15 to 20 carcasses, while a number of farms north of Okahandja, an estimated 20 to 25 giraffes have been found dead.

Request for help

Wildlife Vets desperately need farmers to report any sick or dead giraffes on their farms with the goal of gathering as many samples as possible to understand the cause of these deaths.
They are ideally looking for a sick giraffe that they can dart, collect blood samples and then euthanise it, which will allow them to collect fresh samples to send to Onderstepoort for tests.

If farmers find a fresh carcass less than12 hours old, they are also requested to contact Wildlife Vets, who will travel to the farm to perform a post-mortem free of charge.

If no veterinarian is available to perform the post-mortem, Wildlife Vets will talk the farmer through the procedure.

“We will ask you to wear gloves, take photos of the carcass, and document anything abnormal. For a fresh carcass, it will need to be opened up and photographed. Check the rumen for bones. In the case of a fresh carcass, cut off the head and send it to Windhoek on ice, but not frozen. Speak to your vet about this.”

Post-mortem results

According to Wildlife Vets, they have conducted three post-mortem examinations and have received samples from the Giraffe Conservation Foundation.

  • They reported that their first post-mortem did not reveal much, except for an abscess in the heart.
  • The second case involved a sick giraffe heifer, which displayed several typical symptoms such as standing in bushes, showing no fear of people, and discharge from the eyes. She was immobilised and blood samples were taken before she was euthanised her. The post-mortem revealed opaque eyes, skin lesions, no fat reserves, and lumps on the lungs.
  • The third case involved a giraffe bull that had been ill for some time, though it is unclear if this case is related. The bull had a swollen carpal joint, severe lung pathology, and several lesions around the aorta.
  • Two other veterinarians also performed post-mortems. One reported a sign resembling a clostridial infection (rooiderm), and the other noted lung and small intestine abnormalities.
  • Three giraffes were tested for rabies, but all returned negative results.

“At this stage, this condition seems to affect only giraffes. However, since the underlying cause is unknown, we cannot rule out transmission to other species,” Wildlife Vets concluded.

Contact details

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Contact Wildlife Vets at +26-481-128-0350, visit the website at  http://www.wildlifevetsnamibia.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/WildlifeVetsNamibia/