Please take a look at the bushbuck's ears. What do you experts think caused this?

My guess is insects. Mosquitos or something else draing enough blood from the outer portions of the ears and the tissue dying.

The only other explanation I can think of, and for it to be an African species, it would be a stretch although I know that Africa does have cold weather, would be frost bite.

ticks

It's where the number tags tore out on the fence.

Frost bite!

Tyson

His past girlfriends nibbling his ears.

I know that sometimes deer (whitetail) nip the ears of fawns - sometimes a doe will bite off the tips of the ears of her own fawn.

Ticks
Fairly common in the dense riverine bush areas.
We see it a lot with Nyala and Bushbuck in Zululand. Mainly where the animals territory is in an area infested with Pepper ticks, they pack on so densely that they look like red paint on the edges of the ears.

Where was that bushbuck from?

It could be plain ole trauma from wild dog or hyena. Or it could be necrosis from immune-mediated vasculitis/dermatitis stimulated by ticks.

.375 H&H solid?

We have assorted theories from various persons in the U.S.A. and opinions from two persons from Africa who say ticks.

I think I'll go with ticks.

tick and flies.

It was shot on ARDA in the Save Valley Conservancy.

Oh sorry, I thought you were talking about the choice of that hat...

quote:

Originally posted by Bwana Bunduki:
Oh sorry, I thought you were talking about the choice of that hat...

That's easy, he wanted the free bowl of soup. RIP Rodney Dangerfield.

The pic shows typical damage caused by Bontlegged ticks which are common in the area. Impala,bushbuck,duiker etc often show such damage .
There is an old dagga boy on savuli in the save conservancy that has no external ears at all due to ticks. Cattle farmers in the area report similiar damage on the animals(especially younger ones)

Yes, ticks is the first thought, and they do damage as well,

But , I have seen them damage their ears by fighting as well, when the opponent slams them on the horns, and the ear tips are in between the horns they get damaged as well

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
Please take a look at the bushbuck's ears. What do you experts think caused this?

Pepper ticks sucking enough blood from the tissue to cause the flesh to die! If it were wild dogs or hyenas they would have killed him or at least cause some real scars around his face and neck and hindquarters, and from what I can see in the picture he simply doesn't show signs that kind of trauma!

Just a guess on my part!

Very nice bushbuck just the same!

quote:

Originally posted by Lhook7:

quote:

Originally posted by Bwana Bunduki:
Oh sorry, I thought you were talking about the choice of that hat...

That's easy, he wanted the free bowl of soup. RIP Rodney Dangerfield.

"Oh, but it looks good on you though!"

Are you sure it was not one of you guys nervously chewing the ears rather than your finer nails?

Bont legged TICK

It seems the Bont-legged tick (Hyalomma marginatum rufipes) might be taking the blame for damage done by one of his cousins, either the Brown ear tick (Rhipicephalus appendiculatus), or the Spinose ear tick (Otobius megnini), both of which cluster on the ears.

Bont-leggers tend to prefer the tail, hooves or anus ... preliminary research indicates. (entomologist needed)

(The hat choice may have been caused by exposure to the Lyme (deer) tick here in the States, which if left untreated can result in madness.)

Looks like a good choice for a european mount.

Keith