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a. My Land Rover 90 parked in a vlei on the shore of Lake Chuali, campsite and vehicle bathed in early morning light, kettle on b. Setting up a mist net on the edge of Lake Chuali c. A pied kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) being gently restrained The principal town in this district is Macia located on the main EN1 highway that heads north from Maputo. The rivers in the district belong to the drainage basins of the Komati River and the Munhuane River, a major tributary of the Komati. There are three permanent lakes in the district: Lake Chuali, Lake Pave and Lake Sacative. Lake Chuali is just west of the EN1, south of Macia and is well known for its birdlife. It is a lake that floods seasonally, therefore, the aquatic habitat varies depending on the amount of seasonal rainfall. In 2010, the Percy Fitzpatrick Institute based at the University of Cape Town became involved in a worldwide survey for the avian influenza virus in wild birds. They developed a sampling programme in Mozambique and South Africa. Wild birds are natural reservoirs for the avian influenza virus,
they host a wide diversity of subtypes, and provide a dynamic population for viral evolution and transmission to domestic bird flocks and mammals. Avian influenza has the potential to be pathogenic to humans but has its greatest impact on domestic birds, including poultry and ostriches in southern Africa. The surveillance programme was called GAINS (Global Avian Influenza Network for Surveillance of Wild Birds). I accompanied the UCT team on a sampling programme in Mozambique around Lake Chuali and was involved in some GAINS training programmes in Zimbabwe. These pictures show the UCT team at work and a variety of birds being captured, sampled and released. There are several ways of capturing wild birds including mist nets and ground traps (usually a net-designed cage trap with the use of baits).
JOURNEY OF A WILDLIFE VETERINARIAN
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