Proceedings of a Meeting on Forensic Aspects of Animal Disease and Husbandry
Zootechnology Ltd. 1986.59 pp.
The proceedings of this meeting held in London, the United Kingdom, on 6 December 1985 contain six of the seven papers presented to a fledgling society concerned with using forensic medicine to curb animal abuse. This is certainly a timely topic, at least in many developed countries, as society is becoming more litigious and animal rights/animal welfare issues are prominent in the news. The promotion of animal welfare has a long history in the United Kingdom, particularly through the work of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA).
General topics discussed included animal abuse, neglect and deprivation and the legal distinctions between them. Three specific areas were addressed. The first was the role of the veterinary surgeon as a witness before the Bar. Topics included definitions of the expert and professional witness, how to present evidence and distinctions between opinion, interpretation and conclusions in the context of being an expert witness.
The second area addressed some of the practicalities of recording evidence, including the use of photographs, notes and preserved specimens, as well as labelling and the identification of animals. Several speakers stressed the legal necessity of preserving identified evidence properly.
The third area comprised papers on personal experiences with everyday justice in animal cruelty cases - "forensic case reports". The RSPCA official presented case reports and elaborated on the sociological aspects of animal cruelty cases.
A second meeting, held in June 1986, included interesting topics such as the legal aspects of insurance for horses and genetic techniques, as well as forensic identification, posing the question "Is there a future for veterinary forensic medicine?".
The 1986 proceedings suggest that the Veterinary Forensic Society in the United Kingdom is in an early development stage. In view of the outspoken public concern for animal welfare and from the interesting topics tabled et the 1986 meeting, the society is most likely to continue to mature. Hopefully there is a future for veterinary forensic medicine, which would enable interested persons to gain expertise in this specialized field.
The proceedings were published by Zootechnology Ltd. Old Mill, Park Road, Shepton Mallet, UK, and are distributed by M.J. Chapman & Associates, Veterinary Surgeons, 19 Stratford Place, London W1N 9AF, UK.
D.E.W.
Les ratites - Elevage et production
P. Campodonico et C. Masson. 1992. 87 pages.
Après avoir connu un développement considérable à la fin du siècle dernier et jusqu'après la première guerre mondiale, l'élevage de l'autruche a traversé une longue période de dépression liée à la chute des cours des plumes, principal produit commercialisé à cette époque. Après 1945, la diversification des produits - cuir, viande, œufs fertiles, animaux reproducteurs - a entraîné une reprise progressive de cet élevage qui, d'abord principalement cantonné à l'Afrique du Sud et à l'autruche classique (Struthio camelus), tend à s'étendre à d'autres espèces de la famille des ratites: émeus australiens, nandous sud-américains et casoars papouasiens.
Cet ouvrage en français vient donc opportunément fournir les connaissances nécessaires au néophyte intéressé par cet élevage. Il donne des informations détaillées sur la systématique, la pathologie, l'alimentation, la reproduction, la conduite et les productions des ratites.
Peut-être aurait-il été utile d'y trouver des informations sur l'anatomie et la physiologie de cet oiseau, les caractéristiques des productions autres que les plumes, en particulier les peaux et la viande, l'organisation de l'abattage industriel, les marchés actuels et futurs des différents produits ainsi que les sources d'approvisionnement en reproducteurs.
Toutefois, une abondante bibliographie permet au lecteur de compléter ses connaissances s'il le souhaite.
Pour obtenir cet ouvrage, s'adresser au CIRAD, Département élevage et médecine vétérinaire, CIRAD/IEMVT, 10 rue Pierre-Curie, 94704 Maisons-Alfort Cedex, France.
R.B.
Dairy India 1992, 4th ed.
Delhi, India, P.R. Gupta. 722 pp.
This exhaustive handbook presents an in-depth profile of the emerging dairy situation, identifying new trends and market opportunities. A multipurpose volume, it serves as an investor's guide to dairy projects, as well as a buyer's guide to products and services. It is a basic training manual on tropical dairy cattle husbandry and milk processing and an industry who's who over 7000 organizations and specialists are listed in it. This yearbook is the only single source that presents information so clearly and concisely and it is recognized as an essential reference for professionals in every sector of the dairy industry - a desktop reference compendium par excellence.
This edition has a wide sweep of technical and economic information and data. It comprises over 30 articles by specialists on diverse topics ranging from megatrends in world dairying and issues in dairy development, to the demand for milk in the year 2000 and cattle insurance. Specialized topics such as innovations in milk processing and packaging, the design of milk plants, buffalo breeding, the registering of cattle breeds and rinderpest eradication are highlighted. The scenario expected to emerge in the future and a survey of traditional milk specialities are dealt with at length. Not neglected are such obscure topics as the breeding of yaks, mithun and vechur. Will fat be the pariah of the 1990s? How the dairy industry can tackle this issue also finds a place here.
This presentation is supported by over 120 statistical tables, charts and graphs; more than 25 listings of over 7000 organizations and specialists; and seven buyer's guides to indigenous breeds of cattle and buffaloes, traditional milk specialities, dairy products, consumables, chemicals, equipment and feed manufacturers; in addition to five project reports on dairy farming, the production of ice-cream, cheese, dairy products and cattle feed.
All this and more makes the yearbook a good value for its price of US$120, plus air postage $20 or surface mail $8. It can be obtained from the publisher: P.R. Gupta, a-25 Priyadarshini Vihar, Delhi-110092, India.
G.H.F.
Embryo transfer in African cattle
D. Kennedy. 1992. Nairobi, Kenya, ILRAD.
The International Laboratory for Research on Animal Diseases (ILRAD) conducts research to increase resistance to the major protozoan diseases - trypanosomiasis and theileriosis - which cause heavy losses in African livestock. Embryo transfer technology has been increasingly valuable in the production of genetically defined calves needed to support this research.
Using embryo transfer technology, an average of 15 calves per year can result from one cow. When collected and transferred, the embryos are microscopic. They can be frozen and transported relatively cheaply with negligible risk of transferring disease.
Embryo transfer technology has already been exploited commercially in the transfer of high-quality European cattle breeds to eastern Africa, in the exportation of good-quality Zebu stock from southern Africa to Australia and in the transfer of disease-resistant cattle from West to East Africa.
The book further discusses the technique of embryo transfer, embryo transfer as a research tool and the commercial opportunities for embryo transfer in Africa. With the onset of global warming, the current demand for Africa's heat- and drought-tolerant cattle may well increase in other parts of the world. The transferring of embryos is the best way of exporting cattle and it ensures that the stock of the exporting country is not depleted.
The book can be obtained from ILRAD, PO 30709, Nairobi, Kenya. Tel. 2542632322; Fax 63199; Telex 22040 ILRAD.
G.H.F.
Tsetse fly control: handbook for the rural community
FAO Regional Office for Africa. 1992. PO Box 1628, Accra, Ghana.
This illustrated booklet contains colour pictures with captions written in both English and French that describe in simple language what trypanosomiasis does to livestock, how the disease is transmitted and how it may be contained by killing the tsetse flies through the use of drugs or trypanotolerant animals. Emphasis is on community-based tsetse control. The booklet is designed to inform the uninitiated about options available to reduce the trypanosomiasis constraint and to make better use of land resources.
J.S.
Trypanosomiasis and tsetse control
Report of the Consultation of the Inter-Secretariat Coordinating Group of the Programme for the Control of African Animal Trypanosomiasis and Related Development, 1992. Rome, FAO.
In this second meeting of the consultative group, which was held in Rome in December 1991, the question was raised as to whether or not African animal trypanosomiasis was becoming less of a priority. The livestock sector in sub-Saharan Africa as a whole is progressively receiving less attention and support from international assistance agencies. Emphasis is now being placed on animal production rather than animal health. Dwindling support for trypanosomiasis research and control was also discussed.
In searching for an explanation for this decline in support of trypanosomiasis control, it has been argued that the achievements reached in this area over the past decades have been limited. Yet, with the gradual saturation of non-infested areas by livestock during the course of this century, pressures on the tsetse-infested resources have increased steadily. The rapid growth of the human population has had a profound effect on tsetse challenge and grazing availability.
Given the dynamics of the present situation, there is an obvious need to review current strategies for the control of tsetse-transmitted trypanosomiasis in Africa. If optimum use is to be made of the national and international resources available, such strategies will need to be developed and coordinated on a regional and/or agro-ecological basis.
The report contains a preliminary policy review, which outlines future strategies for different agro-ecological zones. The Consultation endorsed the approach and recommended that FAO increase its efforts to define accurately the role and priority of trypanosomiasis control activities within the overall objective of sustainable agricultural production and natural resource conservation.
J.S.
Manual for livestock extensionists, vol. 1
H. Helmrich. Pattoki Livestock Production Project. 1992.
This manual is a useful guide for livestock extensionists as it is based on the actual experience of the Idara-e-Kissan farmers' organization, which was formed with the assistance of the Pattoki Livestock Production Project.
The manual attempts to explain in simple terms the various aspects of the organization and the reasons for them, however, it does not emphasize sufficiently the benefits of linking extension through a marketing cooperative.
Certainly, though, the manual fills a gap in that it is targeted at all those trying to do extension work with farmer groups in the developing world.
Originally published in English, the manual has also been translated into Urdu by N. Habib. The language problem will likewise have to be overcome in many areas where it could be valuable in the training of local extensionists. Many points are well known, but they are worth repeating when based on successful development.
The publication is available from: KHOJ Research and Publication Centre, Flat 2, Floor 1, Bhausia Building, Main Market, Gulberg, Lahore, Pakistan.
D.E.S.
La production biologique des savanes de Côte d'ivoire et son utilisation par l'homme
J. César. 1992. 671 pages.
Cet ouvrage volumineux a fait l'objet d'une thèse de doctorat d'Etat en 1990 et rassemble une masse importante de résultats, fruit d'une recherche de terrain d'une quinzaine d'années sur les formations végétales de savane en Côte d'Ivoire. Il peut être considéré comme un ouvrage de référence.
L'auteur donne un aperçu des caractères dominants du climat et du sol, puis présente les méthodes utilisées pour l'étude quantitative et qualitative de la végétation. Il aborde ensuite la physionomie, la floristique et la classification des formations végétales rencontrées, la production de biomasse et les cycles de production végétale, l'aspect repousse après coupes, la composition chimique et bromatologique de la strate herbacée des savanes, pour déboucher sur l'étude de la dynamique de la végétation des savanes ivoiriennes, dans une perspective de gestion, de restauration et d'amélioration de ces pâturages. L'un des mérites de l'auteur est d'avoir su présenter clairement un certain nombre de solutions visant à améliorer les potentialités fourragères du milieu naturel et l'alimentation du bétail avec les ressources locales.
Pour obtenir cet ouvrage, s'adresser au CIRAD, Département élevage et médecine vétérinaire, CIRA/IEMVT, 10 rue Pierre-Curie, 94704 Maisons-Alfort Cedex, France.
P.L.P.
