Bushpig Research Articles

Hunting of protected animals in the Parc National d'Ankarafantsika, north-western Madagascar

Bones were obtained from the temporary camp of raffia palm fibre harvesters in the Parc National d'Ankarafantsika in north-western Madagascar. Based on the context of their deposition, knife-cut marks, and burn marks these animals were consumed for food. The minimum number of individuals (MNI) of wild animals represented in the sample was 49, and included turtles (MNI = 5), birds (MNI = 4), tenrecs (MNI = 4), Carnivora (MNI = 2), lemurs (MNI = 32), and bush pigs (MNI = 2). The majority of these animals are protected by Malagasy law and are endemic to the island.

The influence of stand age on wildlife habitat use in exotic Teak tree Tectona grandis plantations

Tropical dry woodlands provide important natural resources for both humans and wildlife, but woodlands situated outside protected areas are vulnerable to over-exploitation. In the Kilombero Valley, Tanzania, miombo woodland is converted into teak plantations and small, private farms, but the impact of this habitat change on wildlife populations is poorly understood. We assessed the frequency of habitat use of large mammals in teak plantations of different age during the wet season. Vegetation structure varied significantly with age; older plantations had larger trees, a more extensive shrub layer and a well-developed leaf litter. Younger plantations had smaller trees and larger areas of short vegetation and bare ground. Track surveys revealed that older plantations were predominantly used by bush pig Potamochoerus larvatus, bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus and duiker (Cephalophus harveyii, C. natalensis or Sylvicarpa grimmia), whilst the younger plantations were used by open-habitat specialists such as warthog Phacochoerus africanus and waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus. Proximity to the flood plain was also found to be important and plantations nearest this area contained significantly more tracks of large grazers and bulk feeders, reflecting use by zebra Equus burchelli, buffalo Syncerus caffer and waterbuck. Areas of miombo woodland that have been converted into teak plantations provide suitable habitat for wildlife in the Kilombero Valley, but their conservation value diminishes with time. Future management should therefore aim to maintain the patchwork of miombo woodland and teak plantations in order to provide suitable habitat for a range of wildlife. Where possible, teak plantations should not be situated close to the boundary of the miombo woodland and flood plain because this habitat is an important wet season refuge for wildlife during the wet season.

Prey selection of lions <i>Panthera leo</i> in a small, enclosed reserve

Annual trends in numbers of ungulate species on a 15 km² reserve from 1993 to 1998, were evaluated in the context of lion Panthera leo reintroduction during 1996, and subsequent predation by them. The ungulate prey base was enumerated annually by aerial counts and a road count that took place during 1998. The lion prey record was obtained from direct observations of a radio-located pride of eight lions and daily reserve management records. All ungulate species that underwent precipituous declines were also the most important prey to lions, comprising over 80 % of their prey, and they were preyed upon according to their availability. Lion predation was causal for the declines in wildebeest Connochaetes taurinus, Blesbok Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi and Warthog Phacochoerus africana, while the decline in Kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros was only partly ascribed to lions, as other non-lion related mortality sources were identified. The only ungulate species to increase subsequent to lion reintroduction was the Impala Aepyceros melampus, which was furthermore under-selected by lions. The uncontrolled population growth of Impala could have elicited ecological degradation, and it was advised to either not stock Impala, or otherwise control their numbers if lions are unable to do so. Lion hunting success and kill rate, were 21 % (n = 63) and 1 kill/4.4 days, respectively. Three bushpigs Potamochoerus larvatus were killed but not utilised,and this finding is corroborated by an intensive study in Kwazulu-Natal, and this aversion is discussed. Predators can cause unprecedented declines of their prey where the prey are confined to small reserves that have no refuge from predation. On an annual basis, prey may need to be augmented to sustain predators on small reserves

Identification of the principal serological immunodeterminants of African swine fever virus by screening a virus cDNA library with antibody.

Protective immunity to African swine fever virus (ASFV) may involve a combination of both serological and cellular mechanisms. This work is focused on the identification of the possible relevant serological immunodeterminants of immunity. Thus, 14 serological immunodeterminants of ASFV have been characterized by exhaustive screening of a representative lambda phage cDNA expression library of the tissue culture-adapted Ba71V strain of ASFV. The library was constructed using RNA extracted from Vero cells infected for 3, 6, 9 and 12 h. A total of 150 clones was selected arbitrarily by antibody screening of the library with a polyclonal antiserum from a domestic pig surviving infection with the virulent Malta isolate of ASFV. Sequencing of these clones permitted identification of 14 independent viral proteins that stimulated an antibody response. These included six proteins encoded by previously unassigned open reading frames (ORFs) (B602L, C44L, CP312R, E184L, K145R and K205R) as well as some of the more well-studied structural (A104R, p10, p32, p54 and p73) and non-structural proteins (RNA reductase, DNA ligase and thymidine kinase). Immunogenicity of these proteins was confirmed by demonstrating the corresponding antibodies in sera from pigs infected either with the Malta isolate or with the OURT88/3-OURT88/1 isolate combination. Furthermore, the majority of these ORFs were also recognized by immune antiserum from the natural host, the bush pig, following secondary challenge with the virulent Malawi (SINT90/1) isolate of ASFV. Thus, it is possible that some of these determinants may be important in protection against virus infection.

Ornithodoros porcinus ticks, bushpigs, and African swine fever in Madagascar.

African swine fever (ASF) has recently made its appearance in Madagascar. Ticks of the Ornithodoros moubata group, considered to be O. porcinus Walton, 1962 were formerly known to occur in western Madagascar, but seem to have disappeared from that region. However, three new sites where they occur were found in the humid and cool central highlands of Anatananarivo province. These ticks are known to be efficient reservoirs and vectors of ASF and constitute a considerable complication to the control of the disease. The authors also discuss another potentially complicating factor, the presence of a species of African bushpig, Potamochoerus larvatus.

Lemurs and the Regeneration of Dry Deciduous Forest in Madagascar

Abstract: We sought to assess the role of lemurs for seed dispersal in the dry deciduous forest of western Madagascar and the possible consequences of the demise of lemurs for forest regeneration. Forest regeneration was studied in eight plots in two large blocks of primary forest and in seven fragments of primary forest (1 plot per fragment). In 4 of the 15 study plots, the abundance of saplings was negatively and significantly correlated (p < 0.05) with the abundance of mature individuals of the same tree species. In another 10 study plots there were negative correlations, although these were not significant on the community level. Second‐order statistics were significant with p < 0.001 and indicated that seed dispersal away from the parent trees was important for successful establishment of saplings. Apart from possibly the bush pig (Potamochoerus larvatus), only one vertebrate species of the dry forest, the brown lemur (Eulemur fulvus), ingested seeds> 11 mm long and passed them through its digestive tract unharmed. These results for lemurs were based on direct observations and fecal analyses. To evaluate the role of E. fulvus, we compared regeneration in forest plots with and without E. fulvus. In forest fragments without E. fulvus, fewer lemur‐dispersed tree species regenerated than would be expected based on the presence of mature tree species that are lemur‐dispersed (p < 0.05). No such effect was seen in primary forests with E. fulvus or for trees whose seeds can also be dispersed by other vertebrates. Thus, regeneration of the dry deciduous forest of western Madagascar with the complete set of primary forest tree species seems to depend upon the presence of E. fulvus.

The Enigma of the Giant Forest Hog, Hylochoerus meinertzhageni (Mammalia: Suidae), in Tanzania Reviewed

ABSTRACT The giant forest hog, Hylochoerus meinertzhageni, is distributed across the West African forest belt and into eastern Africa. It is known from Uganda and is reasonably common in suitable habitat in Kenya. Evidence suggests that a taxon described from a photograph as Hylochoerus schulzi Zukowsky 1921 from the Mutjek Mountains in northern Tanzania along the western Rift Valley wall is in fact a bushpig, Potamochoerus larvatus. Previously published records of the giant forest hog in Tanzania are discussed and shown to be non-definitive; the need for a specimen or unambiguous photographic record of H. meinertzhageni from Tanzania still exists.

A Conserved African Swine Fever Virus IκB Homolog, 5EL, Is Nonessential for Growthin Vitroand Virulence in Domestic Swine

An African swine fever virus (ASFV) gene with similarity to the cellular inhibitor of NFκB (IκB) was described in the pathogenic African isolate Malawi Lil-20/1 (ORF 5EL) and a cell-culture-adapted European virus, BA71V (ORF A238L). Recently, this gene was shown to be a functional IκB homolog capable of downregulating NFκB-regulated gene expression. This observation suggests the gene may be of significance to aspects of ASFV pathogenesis and virulence in domestic swine by interfering with a normal antiviral host response. Here we show, using nucleotide sequence analysis, that5ELis highly conserved among various African and European pathogenic field isolates and that in all cases its similarity to IκB genes is limited to the presence of four low complexity ankyrin repeats in the ASFV gene. The5ELgene of Malawi Lil-20/1 encodes a 28-kDa protein which was expressed early in virus-infected macrophage cell cultures with maximum levels observed at 3 to 5 hr postinfection. To study gene function, a Malawi Lil-20/15ELgene deletion mutant (Δ5EL) was constructed. Growth characteristics of Δ5EL in porcine macrophage cell cultures were indistinguishable from those of the parental virus. And, Δ5ELexhibited an unaltered parental Malawi Lil-20/1 disease and virulence phenotype in domestic swine. Thus, although highly conserved among ASFV isolates,5ELis nonessential for growth in porcine macrophagesin vitroand for viral virulence in domestic swine. A possible role for this gene in transmission of ASFV in nature, a setting which involves the cycling of ASFV between two highly adapted hosts,Ornithodorosticks and warthogs or bush pigs, in sub-Saharan Africa is discussed.

Relative habitat use of duikers, bush pigs, and elephants in virgin and selectively logged areas of the Kibale Forest, Uganda

Comparisons of relative habitat use of red and blue duikers [Cephalophus natalensis A. Smith 1843 and C. monticola (Thunberg 1789)], bush pigs [Potamochoerus porcus (L. 1758)] and elephants in two natural forests, and to selectively felled forests were carried out by monthly censuses of duiker pellet groups/elephant dung and bush pig diggings during 1 year in 1983–84. The amount of duiker dung and bush pig diggings varied greatly between and within the different areas. The highest density of duiker pellet groups was found in a part of the lightly logged forest. In the number of diggings there were no significant differences between the forest areas. The number of pellets found correlated negatively, and the number of diggings found correlated positively with the rainfall of the previous month. The number of elephants in the Kibale Forest is roughly 1/5 of that recorded 20 years earlier. Elephants preferred selectively felled areas.

Intertribal Hunting among the Rukuba

A vast literature has been published on hunter-gatherer peoples; whereas comparatively few accounts have been devoted to the study of hunting practices among agriculturalists. This is quite understandable since hunting is generally, among agriculturalists, a pursuit which is not essential to the survival of the society and which, in many cases, is considered a sport rather than a necessary contribution to the diet. In such a setting hunting may be ideologically important and, in spite ofthe relatively little chance of bagging a significant amount of meat, a culturally highly valorized endeavor. Described here is the part played by hunting in Rukuba society and the way in which communal hunting, in the form of battues, culminates in recurrent annual hunts on given tracks of bush said to belong to one or the other tribe taking part in the hunts. I endeavor to find the reason or reasons for such invitations to tribes sometimes classified as enemies and which were on a head-taking basis when affrays arose. Another question to be addressed is why people so greedy for meat invite others to their hunting ground instead of trying to keep the game for themselves. The Rukuba number about 12,000 and their territorial center is about 25 miles northwest of Jos, the capital of Plateau State, Nigeria. They live in 24 villages, most of them surrounded by bush where the hunting takes place. Each village is headed by a chief and villages are geographically grouped into five sections (see Map 1); three of these sections are under a village chief who is head ofthe section and whose duties are to arbitrate in intrasection disputes and to open the rituals pertaining to his section. The two remaining sections have two head villages, one dealing with the most important rituals and the other arbitrating disputes arising between the villages belonging to the section. I call the former the head ritual village and the latter the head political village. Hunting enters into this scheme of subordination/superordination in a very significant way: the heads of several species of animals?and formerly human heads taken from enemies?must be brought to the head village of the section in the three sections having only one head village and to the political head of the sections having two head villages. The animals are the leopard, the dwarf buffalo, the bush pig, the hyena, and two species of antelopes that I could not positively identify, although from the heads and horns shown me they appear to be the roan antelope and the hippotrague. Anytime one of these is killed the village of the successful hunter stages a dance called kaship at home and, if the village is a subordinate village, the hunting party brings the head to the superordinate village of the section, regardless of where the animal has been killed (Muller 1980:293-298). Other animals of lesser size, the anteater (orycteropus afer), and several species of antelope including the hartebeest, only require a dance called aso, and their heads are retained by the chief of the hunter's village to be plastered on the walls of the village sacred hut (Muller 1977). But heads of big animals are not the only trophies to be similarly

The ecology and status of geochelone yniphora: a critically endangered tortoise in northwestern madagascar

Abstract The endemic Madagascar tortoise Geochelone yniphora exhibits a very localised distribution in the vicinity of Baly Bay on the northwest coast of the island. Data on growth, feeding, activity patterns, and habitat preference relate to adaptations in a strongly seasonal (wet-dry), tropical climate. Current distribution and density data indicate that G. yniphora is on the verge of extinction. This endangered status can be attributed to: (1) commercial exploitation in the past; (2) current heavy predation by the African bush pig; and (3) continuing habitat modification by indigenous agriculturists who create and maintain anthropogenic savannas through annual burning.

Developments in the Sudan Parks

The Sudan today has three National Parks and fifteen game reserves. In addition there are sanctuaries and forest reserves where hunting is forbidden.Dinder National Park covers 7120 sq. km (2750 sq. miles) and lies 406 km (315 miles) south-east from Khartoum, near the Ethiopian border in Blue Nile Province. Its fine assemblage of game includes elephant (during the rains), hippopotamus, giraffe, buffalo, roan antelope, waterbuck, tiang, greater kudu, red-fronted and Soemmering's gazelle, reedbuck, bushbuck, oribi, duiker, Salt's dikdik, warthog, bush pig, lion, leopard, cheetah, hyaena, wild dog, grivet and red hussar monkeys, and baboon. According to Dr William Dasmann (in litt. August 1972) the status of tora and lelwel hartebeest is uncertain. It has been decided not to reintroduce hippopotamus as poachers would be the only gainers.

Infection of some species of African wild life with foot-and-mouth disease virus

The course of infection with foot-and-mouth disease was studied in a number of species of captive wild animals using a strain of Type SAT 2 virus from a current outbreak of disease in cattle. During the experiment a superimposed infection due to Type SAT 1 virus originating from a carrier buffalo was detected. Clinical foot-and-mouth disease occurred in kudu, impala, warthog and bush pig. Although clinical disease was not apparent in buffalo, very small vesicular lesions were observed in some of the animals. Wildebeeste and elephant did not react to either artificial or natural virus challenge. The carrier state was demonstrated in buffalo, kudu and cattle, and virus was recovered on one occasion from two of the wildebeeste. Virus persisted longest and at highest titre in the buffalo. Neutralising antibody titres after infection in kudu and buffalo were of similar order to those in cattle. Titres in impala were generally lower and did not persist at a high level for so long. Titres in warthog and bush pig were less and of comparatively short duration.

Observations on the pituitary gland of some members of the suborder Suiformes (Mammalia: Artiodactyla)

The macroscopical and microscopical anatomy of the pituitary gland of the warthog (Phacochoerus aethiopicus) is described and compared with that of the Vietnam pig (a domestic race of Sus scrofa). The glands of the two animals differ considerably in shape but agree in anatomical details.The morphological and histochemical characteristics of cells of the pars distalis are described in the warthog, bush pig (Potamochoerus porcus), Vietnam pig (all members of the family Suidae) and hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius: Hippopotamidae). Close agreement was found between five cell types of the warthog and bush pig and the corresponding cell types in the domestic pig. The mucoid cells of the less closely related hippopotamus differed from those of the domestic pig in some morphological details.

Trichinella spiralis in the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in Ireland.

SINCE 1835 when Owen1 described the species Trichinella spiralis from man in London, trichinosis has occurred occasionally, sometimes in epidemics, in both Britain and Ireland as well as being endemic in some parts of the world. While infection in wildlife has been reported in at least sixty-five species of mammal2, the primary reservoirs are carnivores. Although elsewhere man may be infected by eating bear meat, wild boar or bush pig, the disease, in these islands, is most frequently contracted by eating inadequately cooked or raw pork, especially sausages.

Observations on the African bushpig Potamochoerus porcus Linn. in Rhodesia

Observations on the African bushpig Potamochoerus porcus Linn. in Rhodesia

A STRAIN OF TRICHINELLA SPIRALIS FROM KENYA OF LOW INFECTIVITY TO RATS AND DOMESTIC PIGS.

(1) Trichinella spiralis is widespread in East Africa. It has been found in man, bush pig, leopard, serval cat, spotted hyaena, striped hyaena, jackal, lion and domestic dog. It has never been found in the domestic pig nor in rodents, neither has it been found in carnivores which feed mainly on rodents.(2) Preliminary attempts to transmit the infection from man, hyaenas, jackal and lion to small laboratory animals such as rats, mice, hamsters and rabbits showed that although the Kenya strain was morphologically typical of T. spiralis, it was of exceptionally low infectivity in these animals.(3) A strain from the serval cat (Felis serval) was eventually established in the laboratory by passage through the mongoose, Myonax sanguineus, and through monkeys and baboons.

On the intestinal yeast flora of free living hippopotami (Hipopotamus amphibius), wart hogs (Phacochoerus aethiopicus) and bush pigs (Potamochoerus choeropotamus).

From the faeces of 35 free-living hippopotami (Hippopotamus amphibius), sampled in south Mozambique, 13 yeast isolates were obtained, distributed as shown (in brackets) among the following species:Candida guilliermondii (3),C. tropicalis (2),C. krusei (2),C. brumptii (1),Debaryomyces globosus (2),Trichosporon cutaneum (1), not identified (2). From the caecal contents of 9 free-living wart hogs (Phacochoerus aethiopicus), shot in north Mozambique 5 isolates were obtained:C. albicans (2),C. lusitaniae (2),C. parapsilosis (1). From the caecal contents of 9 free-living bush pigs (Potamochoerus choeropotamus), shot in north Mozambique, 18 isolates were obtained:C. krusei (6),C. tropicalis (5),Pichia fermentans (2),C. slooffii (2),C. albicans (1),Torulopsis glabrata (1),Trichosporon cutaneum (1). The low total yeast indices of the hippopotami (0.37) and the wart hogs (0.56) are believed to be correlated with the type of diet of these animals (rich in cellulose, poor in starch and simple carbohydrates). The bush pigs, which like the domestic pig, use a diet rich in starch and simple carbohydrates, had a very high total yeast index (2.00).Candida slooffii an obligate saprophyte of the digestive tract of domestic swine was found in two of the bush pig samples.

A Commensal Nematode in the African Bush Pig

A Commensal Nematode in the African Bush Pig