Thesis (MTech (Nature Conservation))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016. / Lions are threatened across their natural range. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (KTP), comprising the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park (KGNP; South Africa) and Gemsbok National Park (GNP; Botswana), is a stronghold for the species. Population size and demography of lions in the KGNP has been addressed in four historic studies. Studies in mid-1970 and 1990 reported a female biased population whereas in 2010 the sex structure was skewed towards males (56%). The bias in sex ratios towards males was first observed in cubs and sub-adults in 2001 and later, in 2010, throughout the population. Furthermore, in the 2010 assessment of the lion population, a smaller proportion of cubs (< 2 yrs) were observed in comparisons to the preceding studies (10% vs. ≥ 23%). The skew in age and sex structures that were observed in the KGNP led to concerns over the long-term sustainability of the greater KTP lion population. The lion population carries further risks associated with the stochastic, arid environment, in which the KTP lion population persists. Human-lion conflict on the borders of the KTP and anthropogenic alterations of the environment further threaten lion demographic stability.

While a decrease of wild felid population has led to disruption of conservation programme, recent studies have shown the importance of immune regulation for determining health outcomes and co-infection. Immunoglobulin G is important for detecting and evaluating responses to infectious diseases and vaccination. But, there is limited information on felid immunoglobulins and their role for functional immunity. This study aimed at isolating and characterizing lion’s immunoglobulin G. Lions’ sera (n = 68) were processed using the MagReSyn® magnetic beads and the final protein concentration was determined using the Xpose™ Trinean Spectrophotometer. The cross-reactivity of goat anti-cat immunoglobulin with sera of lions and other species was analysed using ELISA. High cross-reactivity was observed in lions ranging from 87.7 to 100%, and low reactivity with rhino (22.4%) followed by chicken (0.01%). The protein concentration from purified sera yielded 39.09 mg/ml. Molecular weight of lion IgG 150-160 kDa was detected with both chains at 54-56 kDa and 24-26 kDa on SDS PAGE. These results indicate a potential aid in developing serological tools to monitor exposure to micro-organisms of lions. / Agriculture and  Animal Health / M. Sc. (Agriculture)

Mycobacterium bovis is the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis (BTB) which has a diverse host range. The maintenance host of BTB in South Africa is the African buffalo (Syncerus caffer). It is believed that lions get infected by feeding on infected buffalo or through wounds. The spread of the disease amongst lions has raised concern regarding the future of the animals and the impact on tourism in the country. Diagnoses of tuberculosis in free ranging wildlife is often dependent on post-mortem samples due to logistical challenges, the use of the lion specific interferon gamma release assay as an antemortem test offers a simpler methodology to testing live animals. The aim was to optimise an already developed assay by Maas et al.,2012 and to harmonise it with the Rhinoceros specific interferon gamma assay developed by Morar-Leather et al 2007. Optimisation of the interferon gamma specific ELISA included: determination of optimal concentrations for the capture and detection monoclonal antibodies; optimal concentrations for the conjugate and evaluation of alternative blocking agents. Different mitogens and incubation times were evaluated for the stimulation of whole blood as positive control in the assay. The optimum concentration for coating the plates with the capture monoclonal antibody was 2 g/ml. An optimum dilution of 1:5000 was selected for both the biotinylated detection monoclonal antibody and the streptavidin horseradish peroxidase conjugate. The assay was optimised using recombinant lion interferon gamma and the lower detection limit was calculated to be 109 pg/ml. Phosphate buffered saline with 1% bovine serum albumin was found to be Chapter 1 © University of South Africa iii a suitable blocking agent. Native interferon gamma was detected in whole blood samples from 5 lions and a 24 hour incubation time with PMA and ionomycin was selected as the optimal mitogen positive control. This assay system demonstrated good potential as an ante mortem test for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in lions. In conclusion, the assay can detect IFN- from supernatants harvested from whole blood cultures stimulated with specific antigens and mitogens / Agriculture and  Animal Health / M. Sc. (Agriculture)

The re-introduction of large carnivores into relatively small conservation areas that fall within the historic distribution range of the species is becoming an increasingly common occurrence. The success of such re-introductions depends very much on the quality of the information that is available to guide management decisions, but in many cases, little information is available. The re-introduction of lions and cheetahs to Sanbona created the opportunity to monitor the behaviour of re-introduced predators to a relatively large system that was characterised by a low ungulate stocking density and little standing water. The broad aims were to study the feeding and spatial ecologies of the lions and cheetahs, to collect standard base-line data, and to examine the effects of the low prey density and limited standing water on habitat selection, range size and diet. The diet (data collected from direct observation and faecal analysis) was similar to that reported in previous studies, and lions and cheetahs preferred greater kudu, black wildebeest and springbok. Lions preferred medium to large prey items, and cheetahs preferred medium to small prey items. The hilly and mountainous terrain of much of the reserve meant that only 50% of the total space was available to the predators. Home ranges of most of the predators were focused around the single large body of standing water. This is likely to have been a response to the water, the vegetation, and the prey that was attracted to these. Habitat selection was also influenced by inter and intra-specific interactions at least for a solitary male lion and female cheetahs. Range sizes were larger than on some other reserves and it is suggested that this was a result of the low prey density. These results form the basis for management recommendations including the importance of continuing to monitor the system and opening up additional parts of the reserve to the predators.