"Veterinary Challenges Regarding the Utilization of the Kafue Lechwe (Kobus leche kafuensis) in Zambia"

Victor M. Siamudaala, J.B. Muma, H.M Munang’andu and M. Mulumba
(talk delivered by Misheck Mulumba)

The Kafue lechwe (Kobus leche kafuensis), which is endemic to the Kafue flats of Zambia, has immense ecological and socio-economic importance. It is important in the maintenance of the fertility of the Kafue flats and fisheries. Fish are the major food source for aquatic birds. Economically, the lechwe is an important tourist attraction and is hunted for meat, hides and trophies. Its ecological and socio-economic importance is, however, progressively coming under threat from infectious diseases. A number of diseases have been isolated in the Kafue lechwe. Some of these diseases such as brucellosis and tuberculosis pose serious conservation and public health challenges. The lechwe population has steadily declined from an estimated 80,000 in the 1970s to 41,000 in the mid-1980s. Infectious diseases, poaching and increased grazing pressure are considered the major factors responsible for the population decline. The translocation of the lechwe to game ranches adjacent to cattle farms increases opportunities for the bi-directional transmission of diseases. A number of diseases, including brucellosis and tuberculosis, have been diagnosed in lechwes on game ranches. The lechwe is now considered the sylvatic host for tuberculosis and brucellosis, thereby complicating control of these diseases in livestock that share the same grazing pasture on the Kafue flats. In addition, the lack of veterinary certification of wildlife products in the country places humans at risk of contracting zoonotic diseases.