Animal welfare: Animal welfare and rural development at the
human - livestock - wildlife interface
Author: Prof Cheryl McCrindle
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.
Introduction
environmental
In Africa, the human- livestock – wildlife interface
relationships (where the human may be the predator or
occurs at two very distinct socio-economic levels. At
the predated) and disease transmission mechanisms
the commercial level, the consumer is a high income
(e.g.
farmer, tourist or hunter, whose funds provide income
perception of animals (both livestock and wildlife
for commercial interests and also, often, wildlife
species) as sentient beings is also influenced by the
conservation and job creation. At the other end of the
beliefs, values and culture of the people with whom
spectrum are subsistence farmers whose livestock or
they interact.
bovine
determinants,
tuberculosis)
come
predator-prey
into
play.
The
crops can be damaged by wildlife and who often covet
the grazing and water resources allocated to wildlife for
communal livestock.
While state veterinary services
and animal welfare
organizations frequently assist the rural poor with
improved breeds, animal feed, stock remedies, and
advice on disease control and improved production,
they often overlook the human-animal interactions that
promote
human
inextricably
wellbeing.
linked
to
human
Animal
welfare
wellbeing
in
is
rural
communities.
Trophy hunting: The carcass of an Impala showing extensive
damage to thoracic area. The meat quality is not acceptable
but the animal died instantly. Is this a welfare problem?
Welfare at the interface
Within the last decade, research on animal diseases,
management and welfare has moved towards a study
Welfare of wildlife encompasses capture, harvesting,
of interactions (spatial and temporal determinants;
biltong hunting, poaching and predation, while livestock
relationships which increase or decrease the incidence
welfare is influenced by competition for grazing and
of disease) rather than bivariate analyses (e.g.
water resources, predation by wild animals, stock theft
classification and pathophysiological manifestations of
and susceptibility to diseases that are carried by
the agent in one or more hosts). This is particularly true
wildlife. At the interface, the human may be the owner
at the human – livestock - wildlife - interface in Africa,
or consumer of livestock or animal products, or
where
conversely, the owner or hunter of wildlife. All these
diverse
relationships
exist
that
include
roles inherently threaten the welfare of animals. In
many countries the survival of wildlife species is
threatened, as certain wild animals are seen as a
reservoir
of
diseases
that
threaten
commercial
livestock. A good example is the culling of badgers in
England and possums in Australasia to prevent bovine
tuberculosis in dairy cattle. Historically, large numbers
of wildlife were culled in South Africa to control
rinderpest, foot-and-mouth disease and East Coast
fever.
Find out more
This module will critically evaluate welfare implications
on communities, livestock and wildlife at the interface
and suggestions made to improve the welfare of
livestock and wildlife, while maintaining effective rural
development and human wellbeing. Currently there are
few welfare standards that can be used to assess and
minimize the welfare problems at the interface.
The videos on the playlist “Welfare on Hub” can be
viewed, and will be discussed in the Welfare
modules.
Other relevant information

Animal welfare: How and why we measure animal
welfare of livestock and wildlife

Animal welfare: Infectious and production diseases
that compromise livestock/wildlife welfare

Animal
welfare:
International
trade
and
livestock/wildlife welfare standards

Animal welfare: Livestock and wildlife welfare during
handling transport and slaughter.