Plant Introduced To Stop Desert Now Poisoning African Livestock - BBC

[hatrack]

Oops.

A toothless goat is not a common sight in Kenyan courtrooms. But the appearance of the animal before Nairobi judges in July was a sign of how desperate some Kenyans have become in their battle against the invasive "mathenge" plant, known by its scientific name of prosopis juliflora.

When the plant was introduced to Kenya 20 years ago, it was supposed to stop the deserts in their track. But 20 years later, it has become a nightmare for residents of Kenya's dry lands, who say the weed has overgrown the local landscape and continues to spread at an alarming rate. Baringo residents say that the plant is not only poisonous but also hazardous to their livestock. Residents say the mathenge seeds of the plant stick in the gums of their animals, eventually causing their teeth to fall out.

EDIT

The thorns of the plant are said to be poisonous and so once an animal is pricked, the solution is to cut off the affected area. He also says he has lost about 50 goats that have been left toothless from eating the pods of prosopis juliflora. "The pods are very sweet to the mouth of the goats and as they continue to chew them the seeds go in between their teeth then they cause the teeth to rot. With time they fall off and they are unable to graze. Can you imagine goats unable to graze? Eventually they die.''

And that has been the story of many pastoralists who live in Baringo district. Residents argue that the government should eliminate the plant that is causing havoc in their home area. Some have even had to move home, as the mathenge roots have destroyed their houses.

EDIT

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5252256.stm

[Kali]

1. that is just mesquite

livestock do fine on it (although dry pods rewetted by rain can cause impactions in horses) Must be something else.

[Dead_Parrot]

2. yeah, strange...

Mesquite will run wild, and will crowd out other plants given the chance, but as you say it's normally fine for grazing (one of the best ways to get the stuff under control, I believe).

I'd be more inclined to run up some blood tests on a gummy goat and look for a disease.

[Kali]

3. That is also how it spreads!

seeds deposited in manure are in a perfect sprouting environment. I suppose if the goats are actually chewing the dry hard seeds themselves as opposed to the pods that MIGHT contribute to cracking fragile teeth...? Those suckers are hard and need to be scarified to sprout - they are adapted to pass through digestive systems or be tumbled with rocks in running water...

I've never heard of the problem in the US or Mexico though...