What is meant by disease free buffalo in RSA

[Wiley64]

I’m currently in the planning phase of a trip to South Africa for a buffalo hunt in 2025 with my outfitter from this past June in the Eastern Cape. As I research I keep running across terms and scenarios I’m not familiar with around buffalo hunting. What exactly is meant by disease free buffalo in rsa? Were Buffalo dispersed through rsa, then extirpated, then reintroduced as disease free so as not to spread disease to cattle? Is this why the appearance is so different (tons of hair on their face). Are there truly different breeds of Cape buffalo?

 

[wesheltonj]

Brucellosis free

 

[375Fox]

Foot and mouth disease. They are all the same species of Cape buffalo but the reasons for the different appearance could be debated. It’s likely a combination of genetics and easier life, also many get harvested way too young.

 

[dogcat1]

Rinderpest as well....

 

[rgsiii]

Black gold: disease-free buffalo farming

Few farming enterprises can offer the returns of a well-managed buffalo breeding operation.

www.farmersweekly.co.za

Lindsay Hunt - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

https://www.wildpharm.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/An-overview-of-disease-free-buffalo-breeding-projects.pdf

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

I’m currently in the planning phase of a trip to South Africa for a buffalo hunt in 2025 with my outfitter from this past June in the Eastern Cape. As I research I keep running across terms and scenarios I’m not familiar with around buffalo hunting. What exactly is meant by disease free buffalo in rsa? Were Buffalo dispersed through rsa, then extirpated, then reintroduced as disease free so as not to spread disease to cattle? Is this why the appearance is so different (tons of hair on their face). Are there truly different breeds of Cape buffalo?

for a visiting hunter diseased or disease free has zero relevance.
diseased or disease free buffalo only has an implication on moving live buffalo accross a vetrinary line(the red line). on one side (east ) of the red line are disease buffalo, on the other side are disease free buffalo.
the disease buffalo carry four diseases, brucellosis, contagious abortion, foot and mouth, bovine tuberculosis (TB) i may stand to be corrected here.
they are only carriers and it doesnt affect them. they can pass these diseases on to domestic livestock that die from these diseases.

if you hunt a buffalo east of the red line, so near kruger park etc, the trophy, must be salted and dried and may not be moved for a period of 30 days i believe, then it can get moved to a taxidermist etc.

all buffalo in south africa are cape buffalo, only one species, there are some different bloodlines, so where they came from originally.

none of this(bloodline stuff) make any difference to me personally, i see a buffalo as a buffalo and they dont like people!!!

if you want more in depth info feel free to DM me.

regards

 

[BRICKBURN]

Don't worry about the hair on the face. Some Buffalo as they age lose hair on their faces. It's not a disease issue. (Although, I am certain that Mange would cause an issue if they caught it)

 

[BRICKBURN]

 

[BRICKBURN]

 

[BRICKBURN]

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

So to put it in perspective
Mocambique
Zim
Caprivi strip
Etc
All disease buffalo

The hair or lack there of is purely genetic. Like a bald guy and a guy with full head of hair, as is the shape and spread of horns and variations in bosses. Its all just genetics

 

[IvW]

An Overview of Disease-Free Buffalo Breeding Projects with Reference to the Different Systems Used in South Africa

This paper describes the successful national program initiated by the South African government to produce disease-free African buffalo so as to ensure the sustainability of this species due to threats from diseases. Buffalo are known carriers of foot-and-mouth disease, bovine tuberculosis...

www.mdpi.com

 

[IvW]

It was started by National parks to preserve Kruger genes....and expanded from there.

 

[Wiley64]

thanks- this is a fascinating topic to me for some reason

 

[John Telford]

And the reason why there are no privately owned or ranched Buffalo in Botswana….

 

[Piet-Vis]

Foot and mouth disease. They are all the same species of Cape buffalo but the reasons for the different appearance could be debated. It’s likely a combination of genetics and easier life, also many get harvested way too young.

Your dislike for RSA combined with your ignorance makes for interesting comments. It's a bit boring though.

 

[375Fox]

Your dislike for RSA combined with your ignorance makes for interesting comments. It's a bit boring though.

It appears you want to turn this into an argument instead of write a professional comment. You can correct my “ignorance” where I’m wrong.

 

[BRICKBURN]

And the reason why there are no privately owned or ranched Buffalo in Botswana….

Top two from my mind:

Cattle Ranching is a very big business in Botswana. Exporting beef would be threatened with an outbreak of disease, etc.

Have a look at the Geography. Where private and public land is located.
Buffalo don't live in deserts and there is a lot of desert in Botswana.

Other's can add more

 

[Neil Molendyk]

on one side (east ) of the red line are disease buffalo, on the other side are disease free buffalo.
the disease buffalo carry four diseases, brucellosis, contagious abortion, foot and mouth, bovine tuberculosis (TB)

In RSA, the above quote and comments from Brickburn are bang on. I took a cape buffalo in Makuya, east of the red fence and adjacent to KNP, across the Luluvo river. Bull down at 9 am. Loaded and transporting back to the skinning shed took us 7 hours , unloaded in the dark, because we weren't allowed to cross out of the red zone. Cape and horns were in quarantine until the quarantine period was over. Interesting though, the meat was shared and gone by noon the next day. I was unaware of any of this until I arrived to take up the hunt but definitely no regrets.

 

[375Fox]

In RSA, the above quote and comments from Brickburn are bang on. I took a cape buffalo in Makuya, east of the red fence and adjacent to KNP, across the Luluvo river. Bull down at 9 am. Loaded and transporting back to the skinning shed took us 7 hours , unloaded in the dark, because we weren't allowed to cross out of the red zone. Cape and horns were in quarantine until the quarantine period was over. Interesting though, the meat was shared and gone by noon the next day. I was unaware of any of this until I arrived to take up the hunt but definitely no regrets.

There was actually a state vet present at the end of my hunt adjacent Kruger. She made the villagers boil the meat before they could take their share with them.