Anyone hear about a rabies epidemic in Namibia which is decimating the Kudu population? I had done some research in putting together a hunt there for 2013, and was told by one outfitter that there was a countrywide problem with rabies taking a toll on the Kudu there. If this is indeed true, how widespread is the problem?

Gracedog: This seems to be a cyclical thing in Namibia. The disease can be spread by saliva, so the kudu infect each other merely by grazing the same foliage.

In 2007, we hunted near Gobabis (eastern Namibia) and the property we hunted got hit hard by rabies. Our PH told us that approximately 2/3 of the kudu population had been killed off. I email him on occassion and he said the kudu are rebounding on his property.

Also, I just booked a hunt in NW Namibia for next year with kudu being the goal. I spoke with several outfits in NW Namibia and rabies was not an issue when I spoke to them.

When talking with outfitters be sure to ask them about their property and neighboring properties and recent rabies break-outs. Unfortunately, it is impossible to predict but I wouldn't let that deter you from booking a trip.

Rabies is endemic (as it is in most of the U.S.) and cyclical. There is almost never a time at which someone might not truthfully make the statement that "there's a rabies outbreak in Namibia and the kudus are being decimated." However, that statement must be qualifed with the fact that outbreaks are limited in geography and kudu populations are only impacted in relatively small areas at a given time.

By all means, if kudu is your primary target, check with dependable sources in the area you intend to hunt. By and large, kudu populations across the bulk of Namibia are healthy.

Stonecreek is spot on.There is a post every year about the rabies outbreak in Namibia but it is localized. Most of the country is doing just fine.

In 2009 it hit the PH's place in NW Nam we've been going to every year. According to him, it seemed to only hit the old bulls and had little to no effect on the cows or young (yearling) bulls. He took us around to where several of the old guy gave up "the ghost" and it was truly saddening the quality and size of the lost bulls.

He said that according to the vets that within 30 minutes of the animal dieing the disease/virus dies out too. He also said he had to shoot a few that were visibly showing symptoms - lethargy, no fear of humans, unsteady/dizzy on their feet and a couple of others.

It is not like "rabies" we think of in the States where it is transmitted by an infected animal biting an uninfected animal or the infected animal getting "vicious". He also said it didn't seem to hit the middle aged bulls, just the old one that may have had some other "compromising" health problems.

Last year he said it had seemed to pass and hadn't found an infected or dead one in 18 or so months. There were still a few very nice bulls last year but getting a good shot on one was just not in the cards. He said he has seen a couple of really good ones, has taken a couple of really good ones and there are still some there but they are really leery. The future looks good as he has very good numbers of cows and yearling bulls again last year and this year.

quote:

Originally posted by m3taco:

He said that according to the vets that within 30 minutes of the animal dieing the disease/virus dies out too. He also said he had to shoot a few that were visibly showing symptoms - lethargy, no fear of humans, unsteady/dizzy on their feet and a couple of others.

I know one PH in Namibia who had to put down a rabid kudu that was standing in his yard.

He prepared to burn the carcass but his workers wanted the meat. He consulted a Vet and was told the meat would be fine as the brain/spinal fluid is where the disease is found. I think they aged it for a few days.

The workers ate the meat with no ill effects.

Their "rabies" reminds me of our CWD.

When I was there in 2009, rabies had been a problem in the one area I hunted, but there were signs of recovery. In the other area, there was an active outbreak. I believe it has started to get better.

My PH told me when the infected cow is in the last stages they come in heat and the bulls catch it from them. Could be why older bulls get it worse.

I'm far from an expert on animal diseases, or any other type of disease for that matter, but I don't think that rabies is spread as a venereal disease, unless kudus kiss as a part of the mating ritual. My understanding is that the pathogen is spread in grazing animals through saliva and that kudus are particularly prone to pass it from one to another due to they way they browse on thorny vegetation.

By the way, it is the same pathogen as rabies found anywhere in the world. In most animals it manifests itself in lethargy rather than the foaming, mad dog image that most people have of its symptoms. Maybe levdm, our resident veterinarian, can chime in here to give us the straight-up on this disease.

On my first trip to what was called South West Africa in 1980 we hunted with Fritz Hein up by Okahandja .. big kudu dead everywhere ... some things don't seem to change all that much .. Never did see a dead kudu cow anywhere ... Fritz encouraged me to blast the jackals as he thought that they might be spreading it ..