• Q fever and toxoplasmosis in South African livestock and wildlife : a retrospective study on seropositivity, sporadic abortion, and stillbirth cases in livestock caused by Coxiella burnetii 

  Mangena, Maruping; Gcebe, Nomakorinte; Thompson, P.N. (Peter N.); Adesiyun, Abiodun Adewale (BMC, 2023-09-21)

  BACKGROUND : Q fever and toxoplasmosis are economically important zoonoses as they cause considerable losses in livestock (cattle, sheep and goats) and wildlife (antelopes, giraffes, lions, and cheetahs) through ...
• Centralized red muscle in Odontaspis ferox and the prevalence of regional endothermy in sharks 

  Dolton, Haley R.; Snelling, Edward P.; Deaville, Robert; Jackson, Andrew L.; Perkins, Matthew W.; Bortoluzzi, Jenny R.; Purves, Kevin; Curnick, David J.; Pimiento, Catalina; Payne, Nicholas L. (Royal Society, 2023-11)

  The order Lamniformes contains charismatic species such as the white shark Carcharodon carcharias and extinct megatooth shark Otodus megalodon, and is of particular interest given their influence on marine ecosystems, ...
• Mitochondrial genome sequence comparisons indicate that the elephant louse Haematomyzus elephantis (Piaget, 1869) contains cryptic species 

  Kelly, Sarah; Dong, Yalun; Wang, Wei; Matthee, Sonja; Wentzel, Jeanette Maria; Durden, Lance A.; Shao, Renfu (Wiley, 2024-03)

  The parvorder Rhynchopthirina contains three currently recognised species of lice that parasitize elephants (both African savanna elephant Loxodonta africana and Asian elephant Elephas maximus), desert warthogs (Phacochoerus ...
• Social media as a tool to understand the distribution and ecology of elusive mammals 

  Phakoago, Makabudi V.; Maloney, Shane K.; Kamerman, Peter R.; Meyer, Leith Carl Rodney; Weyer, Nora M.; Fuller, Andrea (Oxford University Press, 2024-02)

  Comparatively little is known about the distribution and ecology of Aardvark (Orycteropus afer) and Temminck’s Ground Pangolin (Smutsia temminckii). Both are elusive species that are normally nocturnal, solitary, and ...
• Blood flow rate to the femur of extinct kangaroos implies a higher locomotor intensity compared to living hopping macropods 

  Hu, Qiaohui; Seymour, Roger S.; Snelling, Edward P.; Wells, Rod T. (Springer, 2024-01)

  The stocky skeletons and post-cranial anatomy of many extinct kangaroos indicate that they might have engaged in varied locomotor behaviors, rather than bipedal hopping, as their primary mode of locomotion. This study ...
• Vaccination of African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) against high-pathogenicity avian influenza 

  Roberts, Laura Christl; Abernethy, D.A. (Darrell); Roberts, David Gordon; Ludynia, Katrin; O'Kennedy, Martha Magaretha; Abolnik, Celia (Wiley, 2024-01)

  BACKGROUND : High-pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) has become a conservation threat to wild birds. Therefore, suitable vaccine technology and practical application methods require investigation. METHODS : Twenty-four ...
• The pathophysiology of rhabdomyolysis in ungulates and rats : towards the development of a rodent model of capture myopathy 

  Lubbe, Crystal; Meyer, Leith Carl Rodney; Kohn, Tertius Abraham; Harvey, Brian H.; Wolmarans, De Wet (Springer, 2023-06)

  Capture myopathy (CM), which is associated with the capture and translocation of wildlife, is a life-threatening condition that causes noteworthy morbidity and mortality in captured animals. Such wildlife deaths have a ...
• Reliability of the enterprise point-of-care (EPOC) blood analyzer's calculated arterial oxygen-hemoglobin saturation in immobilized white rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum) 

  Mtetwa, Thembeka Kim; Snelling, Edward P.; Donaldson, Ashleigh C.; Buss, Peter Erik; Meyer, Leith Carl Rodney (Wiley, 2023-09)

  CONCLUSIONS: The EPOC cSaO2 is unreliable and should not be used to monitor blood oxygenation in immobilized white rhinoceroses.
• A cross-over dietary intervention in captive cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) : investigating the effects of glycine supplementation on blood parameters 

  Van Boom, Kathryn Merle; Kohn, Tertius Abraham; Tordiffe, A.S.W. (Adrian Stephen Wolferstan) (Wiley, 2024-01)

  Captive cheetahs are prone to unusual diseases which may be attributed to their high muscle meat, collagen deficient captive diet. Glycine is a simple amino acid that is abundant in collagen rich tissues and has many ...
• Responses to reduced feeding frequency in captive-born cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) : implications for behavioural and physiological stress and gastrointestinal health 

  Brown, Kelsey Lee; Ganswindt, Andre; Steenkamp, Gerhard; Tordiffe, A.S.W. (Adrian Stephen Wolferstan) (MDPI, 2023-09)

  Unnatural diet composition and frequent feeding regimes may play an aetiological role in the multiple diseases prevalent in captive cheetahs. This study investigated the responses of captive-born (hand-reared) cheetahs ...
• Is penguin circovirus circulating only in the Antarctic circle? Lack of viral detection in Namibia 

  Roberts, Laura Christl; Molini, Umberto; Coetzee, Lauren M.; Khaiseb, Siegfried; Roux, Jean-Paul; Kemper, Jessica; Roberts, David G.; Ludynia, Katrin; Doher, Marcus; Abernethy, D.A. (Darrell); Franzo, Giovanni (MDPI, 2023-04)

  The known host range of circoviruses is continuously expanding because of more intensive diagnostic activities and advanced sequencing tools. Recently, a new circovirus (penguin circovirus (PenCV)) was identified in the ...
• Fiber type and metabolic characteristics of skeletal muscle in 16 breeds of domestic dogs 

  Van Boom, Kathryn Merle; Schoeman, Johan P.; Steyl, Johan; Kohn, Tertius Abraham (Wiley, 2023-10)

  The domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) species comprises hundreds of breeds, each differing in physical characteristics, behavior, strength, and running capability. Very little is known about the skeletal muscle composition ...
• Antibody response to Raboral VR-G® oral rabies vaccine in captive and free-ranging black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas) 

  Koeppel, Katja Natalie; Geertsma, Peter; Kuhn, Brian F.; Van Schalkwyk, Ockert Louis; Thompson, P.N. (Peter N.) (AOSIS OpenJournals, 2022-02-10)

  Rabies is a zoonotic disease that remains endemic in large parts of southern Africa because of its persistence in wildlife and domestic dog vectors. The black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas) is primarily the wildlife ...
• A field-friendly alternative to freeze-drying faeces for glucocorticoid metabolite analyses of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) 

  Postiglione, Gabriella; Accorsi, Pier Attilio; Ganswindt, Andre; Crossey, Bruce Gareth (Elsevier, 2022-01-16)

  Endocrine studies using faeces as hormone matrix have become increasingly popular to examine adrenocortical activity in wildlife. A prerequisite for this approach is to minimize alteration of faecal glucocorticoid metabolite ...
• Successful treatment of babesiosis in a south-western black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis bicornis) 

  Zimmermann, David E.; Vorster, Ilse; Dreyer, C.; Fowlds, W.; Penzhorn, Barend Louis (Medpharm Publications, 2022)

  Under stressful conditions, black rhinoceroses that are sub-clinical carriers of Babesia bicornis can succumb to babesiosis. After 16 days in captivity, a five-year-old female black rhino captured for relocation presented ...
• The effects of feeding and transport length on the welfare of white rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum simum) during long-distance translocations : a preliminary study 

  Leiberich, Marion; Pohlin, Friederike; Hooijberg, Emma Henriette; Hofmeyr, M.; Cooper, D.; Reuben, M.; Meyer, Leith Carl Rodney (Medpharm Publications, 2022)

  Translocation is a valuable conservation tool, but poses significant risks for the transported rhinoceroses. Interventions reducing these risks are required to ensure positive welfare during transportation. The aim of ...
• A comparison of immobilisation quality and cardiorespiratory effects of etorphine-azaperone versus etorphine-midazolam combinations in blesbok 

  Laubscher, Liesel L.; Meyer, Leith Carl Rodney; Laurence, M.; Raath, J.P.; Pfitzer, S. (MedPharm Publications, 2022)

  The study compared immobilisation of blesbok (Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi) with etorphine and azaperone vs etorphine and midazolam. Twelve female blesbok, weighing 59.4 ± 2.8 kg, were used. Each animal randomly received ...
• Patterns of rabies cases in South Africa between 1993 and 2019, including the role of wildlife 

  Koeppel, Katja Natalie; Van Schalkwyk, Ockert Louis; Thompson, P.N. (Peter N.) (Wiley, 2022-03)

  Rabies is a global viral zoonosis endemic to South Africa, resulting in fatal encephalitis in warm-blooded animals, including humans. The loss of human lives and economic losses in rural areas through loss of livestock are ...
• Cardiovascular effects of intravenous vatinoxan in wild boars (Sus scrofa) anaesthetised with intramuscular medetomidine-tiletamine-zolazepam 

  Einwaller, Joy; Meyer, Leith Carl Rodney; Auer, Ulrike; Raekallio, Marja; Nowack, Julia; Haw, Anna; Vetter, Sebastian; Painer, Johanna; Stalder, Gabrielle (Wiley, 2022-01)

  BACKGROUND : The potent sedative medetomidine is a commonly used adjunct for the immobilisation of non-domestic mammals. However, its use is associated with pronounced cardiovascular side effects, such as bradycardia, ...
• Relationship between capillaries, mitochondria and maximum power of the heart : a meta-study from shrew to elephant 

  Horrell, Heidi D.; Lindeque, Anika; Farrell, Anthony P.; Seymour, Roger S.; White, Craig R.; Kruger, Kayla M.; Snelling, Edward P. (Royal Society, 2022-02)

  Please read abstract in the article.

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