Farmers have reported that a viral disease, believed to spread where wildebeests calve, is affecting their cattle.
They claim that when their livestock graze in areas where wildebeests have calved, the animals become sick and may die.
Abraham Tobiko, a livestock farmer in Emati, Trans Mara West Sub-County, noted that while most wildebeests return to Tanzania for calving, some remain in Kenya.
He explained that if cattle graze on grass in areas where a wildebeest has calved, they may contract a disease that leads to death.
Tobiko shared that he recently lost a cow, which he believed fell ill after grazing on grass where a wildebeest had calved.
Narok West Veterinary Officer, Dr. Matthew Nchoko, confirmed the disease as Malignant Catarrhal Fever (MCF), which is fatal to cattle.
The disease causes high fever, diarrhoea, depression, loss of appetite, nasal discharge, and eventually death.
Dr Nchoko estimated that between 3 to 12 per cent of cattle that graze in areas where wildebeests have calved have died from the disease.
He advised farmers to avoid grazing their livestock in these areas, as there is no known cure for MCF.
This issue arises during the annual wildebeest migration, one of the world’s most remarkable natural phenomena.
Every year, millions of wildebeests and zebras migrate across the Mara River from Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park to Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve.
The migration typically begins in July, with the animals returning to Tanzania towards the end of the year.
According to experts, the migration is driven by breeding purposes. The wildebeests and zebras move to the Kenyan side for mating and return to Tanzania for calving.
While the migration draws millions of tourists to Kenya each year, boosting local economies, it also poses challenges to livestock farmers who share grazing land with the migrating herds.
Dr Nchoko urged farmers to be cautious and avoid grazing their cattle in areas where wildebeests have recently calved to prevent further losses.
