Rabies is a perilous viral disease affecting the central nervous system, causing approximately 60,000 human deaths annually, or one death every 10 minutes. A staggering 95% of these fatalities occur in the developing world, particularly in Africa and Asia.
The Maasai Mara in Kenya is no exception. It presents a unique challenge for rabies control due to free-ranging dogs that protect livestock from nocturnal predators like lions and hyenas. This constant interaction creates a significant pathway for disease transmission.
This link between domestic dogs and wildlife has had a devastating impact on African painted wolf populations in Kenya, particularly in the late 1980s and early 1990s. One of the most severe and well-documented outbreaks occurred in the Maasai Mara ecosystem.
In 1989, researchers monitoring three packs of African wild dogs north of the Maasai Mara National Reserve witnessed a catastrophic event. Over a six-week period, 21 out of 23 members of one pack died. Brain samples from the deceased dogs confirmed rabies, with the viral strain being the same as that circulating in domestic dogs in the region.
This outbreak led to the disappearance of wild dogs from the Maasai Mara ecosystem by January 1991. This event is a stark example of how rabies, primarily maintained in domestic dog populations, can spill over and cause significant mortality in endangered wildlife. To address this, rabies control in the Mara adopts a “One Health” approach, recognizing the interconnected well-being of people, livestock, and predators.
Funding from the Painted Dog Fund has enabled the Kenya Wildlife Trust (KWT) to carry out a targeted vaccination programme for dogs and cats across the landscape. It has also strengthened the surveillance and reporting systems on rabies.
The local Maasai greatly appreciate the benefits this bring to their communities and KWT makes clear that it is made possible by organisations that support a more harmonious coexistence with painted wolves.
Painted wolves’ predation on livestock in the area can be very damaging for the local pastoralists, often with substantial loses of goats and sheep. This beneficial vaccination programme helps improve the balance sheet in the communities’ favour with the aim of making them more tolerant towards the species.
Images courtesy of Kenya Wildlife Trust.
