Vetnuus | February 2025 49 Other films I was involved in were: Shaka Zulu, Zulu Dawn, Albert Schweitzer, and the award-winning advert for peace, The Lion and the Lamb. This advert was proclaimed the Peace Advert of the Year at the Cannes Film Festival/ (See www: Nedbank: Lion and Lamb) The Isle Of Man At this stage, I had been in practice for 26 years and was exhausted. I was doing about 60000 beef pregs a year all over southern Africa, had six big croc farms I was looking after and was consulting for three major agricultural companies where my agricultural training was used extensively with citrus, wheat sugar cane, beef and dairy. I was also trouble-shooter for a major cattle feed company. In the year I had purchased 53 air tickets and still had my farm to care for and a Government committee looking into herbicide damage in agricultural crops. I decided I was done and closed my practice. Within 3 months I was bored to tears and decided to locum overseas. The Isle of Man was the destination and six months was the decided time. Four years later I was home on and off. This was perhaps one of the most rewarding times in practice. No real responsibilities other than to do one’s work very well. The farmers were extra special and the stock was very well cared for. I am certain I would not be in practice today had I not done that – and I still speak to many of the farmers there daily. In the end, the farmers held a going away party and Judy and I were offered effective citizenship. When Natal erupted in violence a few years back one of the farmers’ wives phoned me to say the cottage in their yard was unoccupied and ready for us should we need it! Heritage Vet Clinic On getting home from the IOM I was hell-bent on farming my land. That was not to be. I had a phone call from a colleague and friend asking for me to help Brian Corcoran’s wife as he had died suddenly. That was 18 years ago and I am still at it. Nyanga Ranch, Gabon Typical nDama cow at the start One afternoon I was contacted by a student I had lectured at the University of Natal in 1977. He asked if I would like to help them with a project in Gabon. We discussed it and it sounded like a formidable challenge. That was three years ago and I have been making 10-day trips every 6 weeks to this ranch. The farm, all 1800,000 hectares has been challenged by cattle diseases only dreaded here in South Africa. The main on are tsetse flies and Ngana. (Trypanasomiasis) It has been a challenge and a direction that was never expected at the outset. The previous management and vets had attempted to cross-breed the indigenous nDama cattle to upgrade them. All sorts of local African cattle were tried and some exotic breeds. They all suffered from Ngana and most died. A study into the genomics indicated a gene in the nDama cattle that made them tolerant of Ngana, not resistant. Any crossbreeding and this gene was lost leaving the cattle susceptible. All crossbred and foreign animals were culled and the testes were controlled by stringent dipping with fly-controlling dips and the problem was greatly reduced. The herd now: Well-fed and the Tryps under control. This has now led to a major challenge for me and that is the moving of a huge number of nDama cattle from the DRC to Gabon. All will have to be flown in involving at least 100 flights with palletized cattle across the Congo River to Gabon. Nightmares include disease control, customs fuel supplies and quarantine stations at each end. Every day is a new challenge but after 50 years the physicality of it all leaves a lot to be desired. Retirement? No, not with all that on the go. v Regulars I Life plus 26
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTc5MDU=