Lumpy Skin Disease suspected to be behind giraffe deaths

A wave of unexplained giraffe deaths across Namibia last year is now believed to have been caused by an outbreak of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD), according to Wildlife Vets Namibia.

The organisation said dozens of giraffe mortalities were reported between April and the end of May 2025, with farmers across multiple regions raising alarm over both dead and visibly sick animals. Reports stretched across a wide area — from west and north of Okahandja to Omaruru and the Waterberg Plateau, as well as farms surrounding Etosha National Park, including Outjo and areas towards Maroelaboom.

Farmers described disturbing symptoms among affected giraffes, including drooping ears, excessive drooling, eye discharge, and apparent blindness. Many animals displayed unusual behaviour — standing motionless and unresponsive, or stumbling as if disoriented. Others showed clear signs of illness, including skin lesions consistent with LSD.

Despite the scale of the reports, Wildlife Vets Namibia said limited samples and incomplete field reports made it difficult to confirm the exact cause. However, clinical signs strongly pointed to LSD, a viral disease typically affecting cattle.

“We ruled out several other possibilities,” it said. Plant poisoning was deemed unlikely given the vast, ecologically diverse areas affected. Rabies was also excluded after multiple giraffes tested negative, while lightning strikes were dismissed because deaths occurred over extended periods rather than during storms.

Instead, attention has turned to environmental conditions that may have fueled the outbreak. Wildlife Vets Namibia said that above-average rainfall during the season led to a surge in insect populations — particularly mosquitoes and biting flies — known carriers of LSD. Of the limited farmer reports received, over 70% observed unusually high insect activity during the peak mortality period.

At the same time, outbreaks of LSD were recorded in cattle in northern Namibia, strengthening the suspected link.

Notably, giraffe deaths declined sharply with the onset of winter, coinciding with a drop in insect numbers — a pattern that further supports the theory of an insect-borne disease.

While isolated cases of LSD in giraffes have been reported before, Wildlife Vets Namibia says this appears to be the first large-scale outbreak of its kind recorded in the country.

The incident has raised fresh concerns about disease transmission between livestock and wildlife, particularly under changing climate conditions that can alter insect populations and disease dynamics.

Although sheep, goats, and most wild ungulates appear resistant to LSD, the outbreak highlights the vulnerability of certain species — and the need for improved monitoring and reporting to better understand emerging wildlife health threats in Namibia.