Immunogenetic Variation and Differential Pathogen Exposure in Free-Ranging Cheetahs across Namibian Farmlands

Immunogenetic Variation and Differential Pathogen Exposure in Free-Ranging Cheetahs across Namibian Farmlands

BACKGROUND Genes under selection provide ecologically important information useful for conservation issues. Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and II genes are essential for the immune defence against pathogens from intracellular (e.g. viruses) and extracellular (e.g. helminths) origins, respectively. Serosurvey studies in Namibian cheetahs (Acinonyx juabuts) revealed higher exposur...

Gammaretrovirus-specific antibodies in free-ranging and captive Namibian cheetahs.

The cheetah population in Namibia is the largest free-ranging population in the world and a key population for research regarding the health status of this species. We used serological methods and quantitative real-time PCR to test free-ranging and captive Namibian cheetahs for the presence of feline leukemia virus (FeLV), a gammaretrovirus that can be highly aggressive in populations with low ...

Seroprevalences to viral pathogens in free-ranging and captive cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) on Namibian Farmland.

Cheetah populations are diminishing rapidly in their natural habitat. One reason for their decline is thought to be a high susceptibility to (infectious) diseases because cheetahs in zoos suffer from high disease-induced mortality. Data on the health status of free-ranging cheetahs are scarce, and little is known about their exposure and susceptibility to infectious diseases. We determined sero...

Serological and microbiological evaluation of the health status of free-ranging and captive cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) on Namibian farmland

Brown hyaena feeding ecology on Namibian farmlands

We identified the diet of brown hyaenas (Hyaena brunnea) on the farmlands of north-central Namibia based on scat analysis, den site orts, and evidence of scavenging at leopard (Panthera pardus) kills. In the absence of larger carnivores, which have been credited with providing larger food items for brown hyaenas elsewhere, we compared interspecific dietary overlap and activity patterns with the...