ECAISA General Structures
Animal Populations
In this study we refer as animals to all livestock forms (cattle, sheep, goats, etc), poultry (chickens, turkey, etc), equidae (horses, donkeys), pigs, ratites (ostrich, emus), pets (mainly dogs and cats) plus game and wild species. The ECAISA team identified five animal population groups. Although there are clear overlaps among them, this classification helps to understand how animals are kept and distributed in the Eastern Cape. This classification is also closely related to the farm or holding type. These groups are:
Communal Animals/Farms: associated to communal farming. Population lives in communities and own animals that live on communal (community shared) land. The land is therefore owned by the whole community or village. Depending on the specific area sheep, goats, cattle and poultry are kept and grazed on the communal land.
Village Animals: these are animals that although usually live within communal land and villages, do not graze on the land. These are mostly poultry and pets. This animal population group is closely linked to the communal animals
Commercial Animals/Farms: here animals are kept on self owned (private) land. Animals are kept for strict commercial purposes and managed accordingly. These commercial premises usually own large extensions of land (up to thousands of hectares). Their infrastructure is generally more technologically advanced and “better” managed than their communal counterparts.
Game Reserve Animals/Farms: animals are kept in big land extensions. They are kept mostly for tourist and breeding/conservational purposes. Most of South African “Big five” species are kept this way (elephants, lions, buffaloes, rhinoceros and leopard) plus many other species.
Wild Life Animals: are true wild animals that live free on the land and know no borders. Of epidemiological interest we emphasize the presence of bush pigs and wild boars. This animal population is closely related to game reserve animals and also to both commercial and communal farms.
Other structures
Dipping Tanks: In the Eastern Cape most communal cattle is treated regularly against ticks in dipping tanks. There are more than 2500 dipping tanks in the Eastern Cape. These are interesting sources of information about animal numbers (cattle and eventually sheep) in communal areas.
Slaughterhouses: Some commercial farms send their animals regularly to slaughterhouses. These are also potential good sources of information for cattle and sheep in commercial settings.
