The day is the initiative of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment, the Cape Vulture Conservancy, and the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) who co-hosted the event. “Vultures are an ecologically vital group of birds that face a range of threats in many areas where they occur,” Dr. Lindy Thompson of the Birds of Prey programme told the Herald.
“The IVAD has grown from vulture awareness days run by the Birds of Prey programme of the EWT in South Africa and the Hawk Conservancy Trust in the United Kingdom. These organisations have worked together and expanded the initiatives into an international event. It is now a coordinated international day where the conservation of vultures is highlighted to a wider audience,” she said.
The event was attended by local traditional leaders, representatives from SANParks, provincial conservation authorities, and members from the Kruger-to-Canyon biosphere region. “Our African vultures are declining quickly, most of them are either endangered or critically endangered. At its core, the gathering serves as a platform to shed light on the challenges faced by African vultures,” she said.
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“The small-hooded vultures, white-headed vultures, and the white-backed vultures are critically endangered. The Cape vulture is vulnerable, and the leopard-faced vulture is endangered. These are the five species common in the Lowveld.” She said that the biggest threat to vultures is poisoning.
“Our people poison vultures for various reasons, including traditional medicine. Vultures are sometimes the secondary victims of poisoning when they eat from a poisoned carcass put out for other wildlife,” she said. “Other threats include electrocutions and collisions with power lines and wind turbines,” she concluded.
