Conservation is the protection of plants, animals and habitats, especially from human activity. In order to conserve species, we need to understand the challenges that a species face in their natural habitat; so we can mitigate these risks.
This month’s problem based learning will be to look into threats facing the Serengeti Lion, Pathera leo.
Questions to help guide your discussion:
1. What diseases are lions prone to catching in the Serengeti?
2. Are any of these diseases treatable?
3. Can these diseases be prevented?
4. What diseases do lions face specifically in a conservation setting, as a
result of captivity?
5. What human factors are causing risks to lions in the wild?
6. How can these human factors be mitigated?
7. What role can education play in protecting Serengeti Lions?
We encourage students to research and post answers in the comments below and Dr Robert Campbell Vice President of Veterinary Medicine, will be answering your questions and reviewing your answers in a live discussion on the upcoming Virtual Medical Society Meeting on the 19th May.
1.) Whilst researching, I found that the most common and well-known diseases were: Canine distemper, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, Bovine TB, Feline Coronavirus and Babesia.
2.) Canine distemper is not treatable but supportive treatment can be provided. However, due to the high mortality rate euthanasia is often used. FIV is not treatable but supportive treatment can be provided. Many can live with it but if they are spreading the virus, they are normally euthanised. If an animal is positive for Bovine TB, the animal is often slaughtered to prevent spread. There is no cure for FCoV and so supportive treatment can be given. However, whilst the symptoms may subside, the virus never leaves and so is always transmitting. Therefore, they are often euthanised. Babesia can be treated with medication however it is not available in some countries and so supportive treatment is given. Vaccination is available in some countries but not many.
3.) Overall, prevention is unrealistic as most need permanent isolation or vaccination which is impractical for wild animals. This is easier if a pet was infected.
4.) In conservation, some examples of problems lions can get include renal diseases, neoplasia and dental diseases.
5.) Some of the major human factors include poaching, tourism, habitat loss and retaliatory killing.
6.) Providing fulltime security to the parks, educating locals, reducing tourism and enforcing more building regulations in areas surrounding the park.
Hi Druv
I just wanted to say that I was very impressed with your answers at the PBL discussion on the Vet VMS meeting yesterday. Well done!
Dr Siva
This question is one that evidently has many avenues of possibilities to explore but in the time I have been able to develop a basic yet broad understanding of this critical topic. It has occurred to me in the past that the populations that inhabit Africa’s savannas especially Serengeti are in danger and often by what for many is a silent killer; Global warming. Global warming has dramatically changed that landscape that we live in by encouraging adverse and extreme weather, in the lions case, the most detrimental is drought. Drought can be seen as one of the highest contributing factors to the development of Babesiosis which in serve cases can lead to both encephalitis and from here pneumonia. Based on the severity of Babesiosis from subclinical to severe symptoms can vary and so can treatment. The difficulty of this disease in lions is the diagnosis as symptoms may occur weeks and even months after first contact and can be easily mistaken due to the symptoms seeming relatively consistent with many other bacterial and viral infections. The two main symptoms involve haemolytic anaemia and non specific flu like symptoms. Above all diagnosis is difficult given the wild nature and environment that these animals inhabit. If found early however it is treatable and a course of seven to ten days on Atovaquone and Azithromycin could radically increase the survival rates of the lions which prior to treatment could be looking at 80% mortality rates. Babesiosis on its own is not however, the biggest cause for concern as the most impactful epidemics within the Serengeti would be the combination of it alongside Canine Distemper. This viral pathogen could be easily confused given the indication of the Canine family title however, lions are able to catch this strong killer. Unfortunately, Canine Distemper is a pathogen with the label ‘supportive care’, which as this suggests makes it incurable. From many family dogs palliative care such as IV fluids, anti-seizure medication, and antibiotics for secondary infection would be prescribed however it is currently more humane for euthanasia to be prescribed for lions due to the nature of potential treatments and the debilitating affects of these. Sadly, humans have had an impact in increasing the fatalities by both of these diseases due to global warming, leading to droughts and hence infection rate. alongside this human expansion of land needed for livestock has encroached on the natural habitat of the lions and although it is unlikely that domestic dogs spread Canine Distemper straight to the lions, it could be evidenced that our expansion of farming land and importation of dogs has indirectly passed diseases such as Canine Distemper onto hyenas, jackals and even leopards that have transmitted it at the kill where there is species interaction or perhaps buffalo that are infected with such illnesses could even be eaten by the lion. Conservation is massively important for the relief of illnesses such as those above mentioned but also feline herpesvirus and feline coronavirus. Conservation animals such as lions are able to contract these if a member of the population does however the difference between the wild and conservation lies not only with the prevention due to immunisation and isolation but also the rapid diagnosis and treatment. Education is by far the most impactful way in which we can unite to combat the rising mortality rates or lions, by both raising awareness of conservation and encouraging the decline in global warming.