Perceptions and problems of disease in the one-humped camel in Southern Africa in the late 19th and early 20th centuries

Historical review — Historiese oorsig Perceptions and problems of disease in the one-humped camel in southern Africa in the late 19th and early 20th centuries R T Wilson a ABSTRACT The one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius) was first introduced to German South West Africa (Namibia) for military purposes in 1889. Introductions to the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) in 1897 and Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) in 1903 were initially with a view to replacing oxen that died of rinderpest. Disease risks attendant on these introductions were recognised and to some extent guarded against. There were, however, relatively few problems. One camel was diagnosed as having foot-and-mouth disease. Mange in camels from India caused some concern as did trypanosomosis from Sudan. Trypanosomosis was introduced into both the Cape of Good Hope and Transvaal. Antibodies to some common livestock disease were found in later years. Key words: Animal imports, antibodies, foot-and-mouth disease, rinderpest, sarcoptic mange, trypanosomosis. Wilson R T Perceptions and problems of disease in the one-humped camel in southern Africa in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Journal of the South African Veterinary Association (2008) 79(2): 58–61 (En.). Bartridge Partners, Bartridge House, Umberleigh, Devon, EX37 9AS, UK. INTRODUCTION The one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius) was imported into southern Africa towards the end of the 19th and in the early years of the 20th centuries. In Herero tradition, 1889 is known as the ‘Year of the Camel’ as in this year camels were imported to German South West Africa (now Namibia). These were brought from the Canary Islands for service with the Schutztruppe or defence force9. The ‘great African cattle plague’ (rinderpest) probably arrived in sub-Saharan Africa between 1887 and 1889 with cattle brought into Eritrea by the Italian Army12,15. By early 1896 the disease had traversed the Zambezi River. During its southward progression it ‘mowed down the whole bovine race in its passage’ and ‘hundreds of carcasses lay here and there, on the roadside, or piled up in the fields’7. It had not reached the Cape Colony (South Africa) by March 1896 because it was not reported in a survey of South Africa at that time, but it did so shortly afterwards20. There are conflicting accounts of numbers and percentages of the totally naïve population that succumbed to the disease but they were certainly enormous. The rural economy was at risk of collapse, as transport and land cultivation depended on oxen. It was thought a Bartridge Partners, Bartridge House, Umberleigh, Devon, EX37 9AS, UK. E-mail: Received: February 2008. Accepted: May 2008. 58 that camels might provide an alternative source of power. The ‘Ville de Pernambuco’ docked at Cape Town on 27 March 1897 out of Tenerife, Canary Islands, via Luanda, Angola, with 10 camels for the Cape Government on board (Cape Town Archives Repository, Source AGR, Volume 445, Reference 3052). Ten was the number considered by Professor R Koch (telegram Koch to Agricola, 5 February 1897, Cape Town Archives Repository, Source AGR, Volume 445, Reference 3052) as necessary for ‘experimental purposes in connection with the rinderpest’ epidemic. The administration in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) also considered camels as an alternative to oxen. The country was rather behind the Cape Colony in its ideas, however, as the first camels introduced there did not arrive until 1903. These were from Karachi, India (now Pakistan) and comprised bulls and cows of the ‘baggager’ Gujarkhan breed and bulls, cows and a heifer of the riding Batinda breed. Following sea transport to Beira, Potuguese East Africa (Mozambique), the overland journey was accomplished without mishap, the animals arriving in Salisbury (Harare) on 9 May 19038. Following the failure of an agreement between Transvaal and the Cape Colony for the former to obtain camels from the latter, Transvaal imported camels direct from Somaliland (i.e. the British colony in the northwest of what is now Somalia) in 190418,19. There were no imports to British Bechuanaland Protectorate (Botswana) at this early stage, but camels traversed the territory in use as police and postal animals by the Cape Colony authorities. Following the first introductions into German South West Africa and the Cape Colony, further lots were imported over the succeeding years. This paper provides information on perceived and actual problems of disease in camels in the southern African region in the early years of their introduction to the region. MATERIALS AND METHODS Material for this paper arises from a review of the literature. The records are from formally published sources and material in the national archival repositories of southern African countries. RESULTS Rinderpest By the time the 10 camels arrived at Cape Town on 27 March 1897 – only 7 weeks after the illustrious Professor Koch had insisted that this number was needed for experimentation – the reason for their import had become redundant. This was due to the ‘success which had attended the investigations at Kimberley (having) rendered their use as contemplated for experimental purposes in connection with Rinderpest unnecessary’ (unattributed and undated typescript probably early February 1899, Cape Town Archives Repository, Source AGR, Volume 445, Reference 3052). Two of the ten arrivals were nonetheless sent to Kimberley where they arrived at the Experimental Station ‘in good order and condition’ on 8 April 1897 (handwritten note, J W Phillips, Cape Town Archives Repository, Source AGR, Volume 445, Reference 3052). They were inoculated with ‘virulent rinderpest blood but without success – the animals proving to be immune to this disease’ (unattributed and undated typescript probably early February 1899, Cape Town Archives Repository, Source AGR, 0038-2809 Tydskr.S.Afr.vet.Ver. (2008) 79(2): 58–61 Volume 445, Reference 3052). Neither animal in fact suffered any ill effects whatsoever (telegram Turner to Agricola, 28 April 1897, Cape Town Archives Repository, Source AGR, Volume 445, Reference 3052). There are no further references to rinderpest and camels in the Cape. Foot-and-mouth disease The first reference in the public domain (as opposed to internal government correspondence) to camel diseases in Rhodesia ( now Zimbabwe ) appeared in the first issue of the Rhodesia Agricultural Journal2. The editorial tended to the view that camels were not susceptible to the common diseases of traditional domestic livestock. A second reference is to footand-mouth disease (FMD) from which one imported camel purportedly died: ‘the splendid record achieved by our first batch of camels has at last been interrupted by an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease at the camel camp, Goromonzi’4. A post mortem examination concluded that ‘from the foregoing conditions I [Government Veterinary Officer Bruce] have no hesitation in saying that the animal suffered from FMD’. In another attribution Bruce o (...truncated)