Dr. Dewald Keet has worked in the internationally renowned Kruger National park as a State Veterinarian for the past 24 years. As from 1 May 2011 Dr Dewald Keet is in private practice. During this long and extensive period he gained vast and first hand experience in the capture of virtually the entire spectrum of southern African mammal species. He did extensive research on a variety of wildlife diseases of which bovine tuberculosis and foot and mouth disease were the most important. He has 32 scientific publications in peer review journals and is rated at an X research level according to the X system.

During his extended career in government veterinary services he became very knowledgeable on animal health/disease legislation. He also participated intimately in the development of the national protocol for the breeding of disease free buffaloes. He pioneered and perfected intradermal tuberculin testing of buffaloes and lions. Government veterinary service also compelled him to become very knowledgeable on the breeding and possible importation of Sable Antelope as well as the breeding of disease free buffaloes. Development of a protocol and policy on the importation of rare antelope species from Foot and Mouth disease infected countries. Other aspects in which he became extremely knowledgeable was the cropping of buffaloes and elephants and the production of venison.

Dewald recently resigned from his Kruger Park state veterinarian position and is now a full time specialist veterinary wildlife practioner. He is still based at Mahlangeni in the Kruger National Park where his wife Karien is a section ranger. This section is 35 kilometers north of Phalaborwa Gate.

His key skills are:

Carnivore Management Specialist

Chemical immobilization of wildlife

Import & export of wildlife

Fencing & wildlife holding facilities

Epidemiology & diagnostics of wildlife diseases

Wildlife disease pathology

Bovine tuberculosis specialist

Foot and Mouth disease specialist

Transboundary conservation area veterinary management

Karien

His special interests are;

Wildlife translocations

Chemical immobilization of wildlife

Ultrasound sonar pregnancy diagnostics in wildlife.

Contraception in proliferative wildlife species.

Breeding of superior breeding stock and trophy animals.

Forensic pathology

The management of captive bred lion populations.

Disease Risk Analysis for import and export of animals and their products.