Let nature be nature: Why SANParks doesn’t always intervene in wildlife disease

Wild places are not always neat or comfortable. National parks are not zoos or veterinary clinics. They are living ecosystems, shaped by interactions between predator and prey, climate, competition, genetics and disease – processes that have evolved over thousands of years.

Dr David Zimmerman is a SANParks Veterinarian responsible for various national parks and regions across the country. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of Dr David Zimmerman and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SANParks.

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In recent weeks, visitors to Addo Elephant National Park have reported sightings of four lion cubs with visible signs of mange. For many people, the sight of a wild animal with patchy fur or irritated skin is understandably distressing.

The instinctive human response is to ask: why isn’t someone stepping in to treat them?

The answer lies in a fundamental principle of conservation – one that often surprises those unfamiliar with how protected areas are managed. Within South African National Parks (SANParks), disease management is guided by the understanding that naturally occurring diseases are part of the ecological processes that shape wildlife populations.

In the wild, disease is not always an emergency to be “fixed”; it is often part of the system itself.

‘If park managers were to intervene every time a natural disease appeared, they would risk disrupting the very processes that national parks are meant to conserve.’

The condition observed in the cubs is consistent with sarcoptic mange, a skin disease caused by the microscopic mite Sarcoptes scabiei. This parasite occurs worldwide and affects a wide range of mammals, from jackals and antelope to domestic dogs – and occasionally lions.

While the symptoms can appear severe, the disease is neither unusual nor necessarily catastrophic in natural ecosystems.

Wildlife diseases often emerge, or become more visible, when animals experience environmental stress. Factors such as drought, nutritional pressure, high population densities, or certain climatic conditions, can weaken immune responses.

Young animals, like lion cubs with still-developing immune systems, are particularly vulnerable, as are older individuals whose immunity may be declining.

Addo cubs with Mange

In the case of the Addo cubs, current hot and humid conditions may be contributing to a temporary flare-up. Importantly, however, the cubs remain in good body condition, indicating that their overall health and ability to feed are not compromised.

Mange is typically transmitted through direct contact between animals. For predators such as lions, infection may occur through interaction with other carnivores, contact within their own pride, or exposure through prey species.

In many instances, the disease is self-limiting, meaning that as the animal’s immune system strengthens, it is able to control and eventually clear the infection.

This is where conservation philosophy becomes critical. In free-ranging wildlife populations, management intervention is deliberately limited. Treating individual animals may feel compassionate, but it raises complex ecological questions.

If park managers were to intervene every time a natural disease appeared, they would risk disrupting the very processes that national parks are meant to conserve.

National parks are not zoos or veterinary clinics. They are living ecosystems, shaped by interactions between predator and prey, climate, competition, genetics and disease – processes that have evolved over thousands of years.

Intervention can also carry unintended consequences. Treating wild animals often requires darting animals, separation from social groups, or repeated capture – all of which carry risks, induce stress, and may ultimately do more harm than good. Selective treatment can also interfere with the natural development of immunity within populations.

Monitoring, not intervention

For these reasons, SANParks’ disease management policy prioritises monitoring rather than intervention when dealing with indigenous diseases.

Rangers and veterinary teams closely observe the affected cubs, focusing on their body condition, behaviour and overall wellbeing. As long as the animals remain otherwise healthy and the disease appears to be part of a natural ecological process, allowing nature to take its course is often the most responsible decision.

This approach can feel counterintuitive in a world where human intervention is often immediate and expected. But conservation sometimes requires restraint rather than action.

By allowing natural disease dynamics to play out, ecosystems remain resilient, wildlife populations develop natural resistance over time, and ecological balance is preserved without constant human interference.

There are, of course, exceptions. Active intervention may be necessary when diseases are introduced by humans or domestic animals, when they threaten endangered populations, or when there is a risk of spread beyond park boundaries.

But when disease arises naturally and animals are coping, careful observation is often the best course of action.

The sight of four young lions with mange may stir concern, but it also serves as a reminder: wild places are not always neat or comfortable. They are dynamic, complex – and sometimes harsh.

And that, ultimately, is what makes them truly wild. DM

Nelson Mandela Bay

Maverick Earth

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David Zimmerman

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