Wildlife conservation through the surveillance, prevention, and treatment of disease is a core objective of the Health for Animals and Livelihood Improvement (HALI) Project.
Male impala in Ruaha National Park, Tanzania. (Photo by D. Clifford)
Since 2006, HALI has been collecting and testing samples from wildlife for the presence of zoonotic diseases, diseases that can be passed from animals to humans. HALI is collecting tissue and blood samples in collaboration with established hunting organizations using the wildllife management area bordering Ruaha National Park. We also collect samples from wildlife opportunistically found dead. The HALI Project has trained and employed local hunting guides to collect samples in the study area and permission to collect samples has been granted by the village association (MBOMIPA; see 2006 GLCRSP Annual Report). No animals are harmed by HALI team members in wildlife sampling activities.
HALI will also be sampling live buffalo in the wildlife management area bordering the park. Buffalo are an important species to test because once infected from livestock, they can maintain bovine tuberculosis within their herds and infect other more sensitive species like lion. Wildlife capture work will be conducted in conjunction with Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI) veterinarians and will be organized with a focus on training Tanzanian veterinarians and veterinary students to perform these captures.
Male lion resting in Ruaha National Park. (Photo by D. Clifford)
From this work we hope to determine to what extent bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis are present in the wildlife of Ruaha, including which species are infected, and over how wide of a geographic area.
