Adrian Stephen Wolferstan Tordiffe

University of Pretoria | UP · Department of Paraclinical Sciences

South Africa has six species of primates, three of which are bushbabies (family Galagidae). Very little information is available on their parasites due to the lack of longitudinal studies, although Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, Amblyomma hebraeum and Haemaphysalis elliptica were previously reported from the brown greater galago (Otolemur crassicaud...

Bacterial communities present in the host digestive tract are important for the breakdown and absorption of nutrients required by the host. Changes in diet and the environment are major factors affecting the composition and diversity of the fecal microbiome. In addition to changes in ambient temperature and rainfall, primates living in seasonal tem...

Pelargonium sidoides DC. (Geraniaceae) is an important indigenous medicinal plant in South Africa, historically employed by various ethnic groups to treat respiratory and gastrointestinal ailments. The proprietary herbal tincture, Umckaloabo Ò , utilizes an ethanolic extract (EPs Ò 7630) from the roots of P. sidoides, and has demonstrated effective...

Captive cheetahs are prone to unusual diseases which may be attributed to their high muscle meat, collagen deficient captive diet. Glycine is a simple amino acid that is abundant in collagen rich tissues and has many physiological functions, specifically in collagen synthesis and in the conjugation of detrimental by-products produced during gut bac...

Simple Summary: This study examined how offering larger quantities of food less frequently to better replicate their natural feeding pattern could affect the health of captive-born cheetahs. For three weeks, six hand-reared cheetahs were fed four once-daily meals per week, followed by three weeks in which they were fed two daily rations six days a...

Two female adult cheetahs, residents of the same sanctuary, presented several weeks subsequent to being mated with the same male. Their presenting histories included lethargy and inappetence in both; one female had vaginal discharge, and the other had apparent abdominal pain. Clinical signs supported by laboratory data established a diagnosis of py...

In a recent Correspondence to Nature Ecology & Evolution, Gopalaswamy et al. are critical of the reintroduction of cheetahs into India, referring broadly to ecological, genetic and disease risks they feel have not been considered in replacing Asiatic cheetahs with the southern African sub-species. They further assert that three claims made in India...

Objectives To evaluate the agreement between high definition oscillometry (HDO) used on the metatarsus or tail base with invasive arterial blood pressures measured in the dorsal pedal artery in anaesthetised cheetahs. Study Design Prospective clinical study. Animals A group of 13 captive adult cheetahs. Methods Cheetahs were immobilised with med...

Until recently, mammalian sex differentiation was thought to be finalized in the embryo. Development of the tubular genital tract, external genitalia, secondary sexual characteristics and sexual behavior are determined largely by the developing gonad. In the last decade, however, it has been shown that continuous sex maintenance is required through...

An editorial for the 93rd volume of the JSAVA

Original Article Papillomaviruses belong to the family Papillomaviridae and consist of approximately 30 to 35 genera. 2,15 These double-stranded, circular-genome, DNA viruses are usually species-specific, and may be limited to certain tissues and areas of the body, specifically the epithelial cells of the skin; squamous epi-thelium of the mouth, an...

Nine distinct papillomaviruses (Lambdapapillomavirus) have been described in domestic and nondomestic cats, but not in cheetahs. These viruses have been associated with cutaneous papillomas or plaques, bowenoid in situ carcinomas, feline cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), feline sarcoids, and oral (often sublingual) papillomas. Fourteen chee...

The black-footed cat (Felis nigripes) is the smallest felid species in Africa and is endemic to the arid regions of southern Africa. It is currently listed as “Vulnerable” in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list of threatened species, with a population decline suspected over the general range. Since 2005, the B...

The immobilisation time and cardiopulmonary effects of ketamine-medetomidine (KM) and tiletamine-zolazepam-medetomidine (TZM) were compared in semi-captive cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus). Seven healthy adult cheetahs were included in a randomised prospective crossover study. Each cheetah was immobilised on two occasions by remote injection, once with...

As global non-human primate populations show dramatic declines due to climate change, land transformation and other anthropogenic stressors, it has become imperative to study physiological responses to environmental change in order to understand primate adaptability and enhance species conservation strategies. We examined the effects of seasonality...

The efficacy, safety, physiologic effects, and reversibility of butorphanol-medetomidine-midazolam (BMM) immobilization were evaluated in black-footed cats (Felis nigripes) and compared between captive and wild animals. Nine captive and 14 wild black-footed cats were hand injected into an accessible hind limb muscle group with the BMM combination....

The non-invasive monitoring of physiological stress can provide conservation and wildlife managers with an invaluable tool for assessing animal welfare and psychological health of captive and free-ranging populations. A significant decrease in free-ranging primate populations globally and an increase in captive-housed primates have led to a need to...

Recent analyses have shown that typically diurnal primates may periodically exhibit some levels of activity at night. Despite this, there have been few studies that have explored whether diurnal primates living in temperate environments will extend their activity budgets to the nocturnal phase as a response to seasonal constraints. Using dual‐axis...

Schirmer tear test (STT), intraocular pressure (IOP), and ocular biometry were measured in 58 healthy cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) between the ages of 2 and 14 yr in two captive groups. During routine health examination under immobilization, each animal underwent ophthalmic examination including STT, IOP, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, indirect ophthalmos...

The objective of this study was to gain better insight into factors associated with the capture-related mortality rate in cheetahs. A link to an online questionnaire was sent to zoo and wildlife veterinarians through the Species Survival Plan Programme and European Endangered Species Programme coordinators and via the ‘Wildlife VetNet’ Google group...

The objective of this study was to gain better insight into factors associated with the capture-related mortality rate in cheetahs. A link to an online questionnaire was sent to zoo and wildlife veterinarians through the Species Survival Plan Programme and European Endangered Species Programme coordinators and via the ‘Wildlife VetNet’ Google group...

Cheetahs in captivity are frequently afflicted by chronic disease conditions that are rare in their free-ranging counterparts and in other felids. To date, clear pathophysiological mechanisms for some of these diseases have not been established. In order to better understand these conditions in this species, we have adopted a systems biology approa...

The effects of etorphine on the pulmonary vascular system of white rhinoceros ( Ceratotherium simum) have not been described and could play a role in the severe hypoxemia that develops after immobilization with etorphine-based drug combinations. Characterization of these effects requires measurement of pulmonary vascular pressures and cardiac outpu...

Blood lactate is a predictor of mortality in critically ill humans and animals. Handheld lactate meters have the potential to be used in the field to evaluate the condition of severely injured rhinoceroses but have not been compared with laboratory-based methods. Agreement between a handheld lactate meter and a laboratory method was assessed, as wa...

Background Cheetahs in captivity have a high prevalence of chronic renal diseases. We ultrasonographically evaluated the renal volumes, a variety of renal dimensions, interarcuate artery resistive indices (RI) as well as aortic diameters and the length of the ventral aspect of the 6th lumbar vertebrae in 27 aged semi-captive anesthetized cheetahs....

Objective: To compare the cardiopulmonary effects of propofol total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) with isoflurane in cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) to evaluate feasibility for field use. Study design: Prospective clinical study. Animals: A group of 24 adult cheetahs, 12 per group. Methods: Cheetahs were immobilized with zolazepam/tiletamine (1...

In captivity, cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) frequently suffer from several unusual chronic diseases that rarely occur in their free-ranging counterparts. In order to develop a better understanding of their metabolism and health we documented the urine organic acids of 41 apparently healthy captive cheetahs, in an untargeted metabolomic study, using g...

Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) are highly specialised large felids, currently listed as vulnerable on the IUCN red data list. In captivity, they are known to suffer from a range of chronic non-infectious diseases. Although low heterozygosity and the stress of captivity have been suggested as possible causal factors, recent studies have started to focu...

Tables A1 to D4, showing ANOVA Type III summaries for serum fatty acids, log transformed fatty acids or fatty acid ratios for the categories age, sex and captivity status. (DOCX)

Optimizing cryopreservation protocols for non-domestic felids contributes to the successful development of assisted reproduction techniques and genetic resource banking. In this study we describe a simple cryopreservation procedure for African lion (Panthera leo) ejaculates, which was tested with different packaging options and different sperm numb...

Background Numbers of giraffes are declining rapidly in their native habitat. As giraffe research and conservation efforts increase, the demand for more complete measures of the impact of conservation interventions and the effects of captive environments on animal health and welfare have risen. We compared the ability of six different enzyme immuno...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128706.].

Cheetahs in captivity are believed to suffer from stress predisposing them to poor health. To date fecal glucocorticoids have been used as a non-invasive indicator of chronic stress. This study examines, the feasibility of transabdominal adrenal gland ultrasonography in cheetahs and determined normal adrenal measurements that can potentially be use...

Published haematologic and serum biochemistry reference intervals are very scarce for captive cheetahs and even more for free-ranging cheetahs. The current study was performed to establish reference intervals for selected serum biochemistry analytes in cheetahs. Baseline serum biochemistry analytes were analysed from 66 healthy Namibian cheetahs. S...

Assessing body mass in mammals is of importance as it influences virtually all aspects of mammal physiology, behavior and ecological parameters. However, the assessment of body mass of large mammals is potentially dangerous and logistically challenging. Photogrammetry (measurements through the use of photographs) is a well-established science. In z...

Mycobacterium bovis infection, the cause of bovine tuberculosis (BTB), is endemic in wildlife in the Kruger National Park (KNP), South Africa. In lions, a high infection prevalence and BTB mortalities have been documented in the KNP; however, the ecological consequences of this disease are currently unknown. Sensitive assays for the detection of th...

Black-footed Cat Working Group - Report on surveying, catching and monitoring Black-footed cats (Felis nigripes) on Benfontein Nature Reserve, Nuwejaarsfontein and Taaiboschpoort Farms in 2014

Blood pressure measurement reveals important insights into the health of conscious and anesthetized individuals. This is of particular interest in cheetahs ( Acinonyx jubatus ), which in captivity are known to suffer from chronic diseases that may be associated with hypertension and which often require immobilization for transport or veterinary tre...

Enzyme immunoassays (EIA) that measure faecal testosterone metabolites (fTM) are useful tools to monitor gonadal activity. The aim of this study was to validate an "in-house" epiandrosterone EIA to monitor fTM in spotted hyenas. FTM were characterised in a male and a female hyena that each received an injection of 3H-testosterone. High-performance...

The samango monkey is South Africa's only exclusively forest dwelling primate and represents the southernmost extent of the range of arboreal guenons in Africa. The main threats to South Africa's forests and thus to the samango are linked to increasing land-use pressure and increasing demands for forest resources, resulting in deforestation, degrad...

The samango monkey is South Africa's only exclusively forest dwelling primate and represents the southernmost extent of the range of arboreal guenons in Africa. The main threats to South Africa's forests and thus to the samango are linked to increasing land-use pressure and increasing demands for forest resources, resulting in deforestation, degrad...

This case presents a thorn-induced abdominal foreign body granuloma that was removed with single incision laparoscopic surgery and an extraction bag. An 11-year-old female cheetah presented for routine laparoscopic ovariectomy. Abdominal palpation detected a mid-abdominal mass. Differential diagnoses were neoplasia and foreign body. Laparoscopic ex...

Hybridization of wildlife species, even in the absence of introgression, is of concern due to wasted reproductive effort and a reduction in productivity. In this study we detail an accidental mating between a female nyala (Tragelaphus angasii) and a male greater kudu (T. strepsiceros). The hybrid was phenotypically nyala and was identified as such...

This case series describes the anaesthetic management of two sibling Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) cubs that were found to have spontaneous femur fractures due to severe nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism. Both cubs received a combination of medetomidine (25 µg/kg) and ketamine (4 mg/kg) intramuscularly and were maintained with isofl...

Multiple myeloma is a rare, systemic proliferation of neoplastic plasma cells. A case was reported in an 11-year-old male captive lion (Panthera leo) at the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, Pretoria. The classic features of symptomatic multiple myeloma were all evident in this case; namely osteolytic lesions, monoclonal gammopathy in th...

Little is known about the levels of stress experienced by African buffalos affected by injury, disease, or socio-ecological and anthropogenic factors. To be able to start filling this gap, we examined the suitability of two 11-oxoaetiocholanolone enzyme-immunoassays (EIAs) detecting 11,17 dioxoandrostanes (11,17-DOA) as well as faecal glucocorticoi...

In July 2009, a 14-yr-old male caracal (Caracal caracal) at the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa was found, on abdominal ultrasound, to have a single large cystolith. The cystolith was removed, and the composition was determined to be 100% cystine. Blood and urine samples were also collected from three other apparently healthy caracals a...

This paper presents the multi-disciplinary forensic approach to the lightning-caused death of two critically endangered eastern bongos (Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci) at the National Zoological Gardens, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa. The forensic investigation shows that the cause of death was in both cases lightning related. The forensic engin...

Limited information is available on the mineral nutrition of captive antelope in South Africa. Zoo animals are usually offered a very limited array of feeds, which may result in nutritional imbalances. As a pilot study to investigate the presence of myopathy in antelope at the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa (NZG), stored liver samples...

Little is known about the levels of stress experienced by African buffalos affected by injury, disease, or socio-ecological and anthropogenic factors. To be able to start filling this gap, we examined the suitability of two 11-oxoaetiocholanolone enzyme-immunoassays (EIAs) detecting 11,17 dioxoandrostanes (11,17-DOA) as well as faecal glucocorticoi...

We report a case of tuberculosis due to infection with Mycobacterium bovis in an elderly male black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis minor) from the Limpopo Province in South Africa. The animal was euthanized due to very poor condition, old age, and dental attrition. Necropsy examination revealed two small nonencapsulated granulomas (approximately 40-m...

Bartonella bacteria are arthropod borne zoonotic pathogens that cause persistent, often asymptomatic infections in a wide variety of mammalian reservoir hostss. In southern Africa we have a limited understanding of the carriership, reservoir potential, pathogenicity and zoonotic potential of these organisms in both domestic and wild carnivores. The...