Barricade Against Spread of Rinderpest in Africa

Abstract

LATE in 1939, there was news of rinderpest in the south of Tanganyika Territory. Brought originally from Asia, the virus of the disease found a new home in the game and cattle countries in the interior of East Africa. Here those animals which recovered from the first attacks had gained some immunity, thereafter acting as reservoirs of the virus. Then during the War of 1914-18 German manœuvres had carried infected oxen right down to Lake Rukwa in southern Tanganyika, and it seemed that this area might now become the source of further spread towards the south. Consultation between all the Governments of East, Central and South Africa achieved certain conclusions, foremost among them being that at all costs the disease must be stopped from crossing the border between Tanganyika Territory and Northern Rhodesia. Mass inoculations created a safe zone in which the rinderpest virus could not maintain a hold among the cattle. There remained the wild game. The problem was to break the contact between the game in Tanganyika Territory and that in Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland to the east. Nyasaland is well protected naturally by closely settled belts of native population and a broad river running between high hills ; but there is little on the Northern Rhodesia border to check the passage of game. It was decided, therefore, to build a fence along the danger line, from the south end of Lake Tanganyika to the Nyasaland border, a distance of more than 160 miles. The fence was started in August 1940. A stockade seven to ten foot high was made of timber near to hand ; only through timber-less open plains could the very limited supply of wire be used, fifteen miles in all. The whole fence was finished within a year from the start.