SKUKUZA – It took the Kruger National Park (KNP) four weeks to release information about a serious poisoning incident where an elephant, four lions and 46 birds were killed. It seems as if the motive for the killing was muti or to provide the animals for trade to the Far East.
The incident took place in the Vlakteplaas area in northern KNP at the end of September when rangers were alerted to the carcass of an elephant and subsequently dead animals were scattered in a radius of 300 metres from it. Early reports showed that the elephant had probably been shot after which chunks of meat were removed from both the rump and spine and Temik spread on the exposed areas. The trunk was cut off and left on the scene while the tusks were removed and taken.
Various scavengers descended on the carcass and were poisoned as a result of it. The face, feet and back skin of one lion had been removed which led to the opinion that the killing might have been muti related. Birds that were killed included 46 African white-backed vultures (17 breeding adults, 10 subadults and 19 immatures) as well as one subadult bateleur.
KNP remained mum on the incident until Lowvelder sent an enquiry to spokesman for the park, Mr William Mabasa last Tuesday. Mabasa only acknowledged it on Thursday after many attempts to get hold of him and by Monday morning the newspaper was still patiently waiting for a response on the matter. Only late on Monday did the KNP reply.
Mabasa confirmed that it was not the first incident of poisoning in the park and that other cases had been reported on the boundaries of the Kruger. “This is most probably one of the worst methods used with devastating effects. If not detected quickly, mortalities can escalate to hundreds of animals. A single incident in the Caprivi in 2013 lead to the death of between 400 and 600 vultures due to late detection,” Mabasa said.
Manager of the Birds of Prey Programme (BoPP) at the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), Mr André Botha told Lowvelder the incident had far-reaching effects. “For some people the loss of 45 white-backed vultures in the Kruger may seem insignificant with its estimated population of between 1 200 and 1 500 birds. But you have to look at the dynamics of those that were killed. The 17 breeding adults most probably had chicks in nests that are about two months away from fledgling and starting their life as juveniles. They will now have to rely on one adult to complete the cycle which poses a threat to their survival as it is near impossible for a single adult to raise a chick to fledgling.
The future of the breeding pairs is also at stake as these birds are believed to mate for life thus impacting on future breeding. They will have to find a new mate and can only attempt to breed again at the start of the season next year,” he explained.
The same rule applied to the subadult bataleur which was ready to start breeding. “We must also take into account that there has recently been three major poisoning incidents in a small radius, bringing the loss of birds in the Lowveld to 120 since May. Should this trend continue, it will have a substantial negative impact on the populations of these endangered birds.”
Botha further explained that vultures’ activity can be an indication of poacher activity in an area for rangers, which increases the risk of detection for the perpetrators, especially where the poaching of elephant is involved. “Poachers want to eliminate them for this reason. The value of vulture parts have also increased and the probability of it being sold to various markets, can’t be denied.”
For Botha and KNP staff who had to deal with the incident, it was a hideous experience. Mabasa said, “Something that must not be overseen is the emotional effect of the staff working with more than 50 dead animals at once and the continuous exposure to these poisoned animals. It took five days to clean-up the site and successfully sweep the area and burn all the carcasses. Something that is imprinted in your mind forever.”
The northern parts of the KNP has been vulnerable to this type of practice for many years as neighbouring communities traditionally uses poisoning as a method of hunting. Meanwhile in Zimbabwe The Guardian has reported that 22 elephants had been poisoned in the Hwange National Park, bringing the total number of mortalities in the country to 62 for October.
An announcement about the status changes for six species of African vulture will be made tomorrow.
They are:
African endemics:
• White-headed vulture Trigonoceps occipitalis: uplist from vulnerable to critically endangered
• Hooded Vulture Necrosyrtes monachus: uplist from endangered to critically endangered
• White-backed vulture Gyps africanus: uplist from endangered to critically endangered
• Cape vulture Gyps coprotheres: uplist from vulnerable to endangered
• Rüppell’s vulture Gyps rueppellii: uplist from endangered to critically endangeredAfrica and Middle East:
• Lappet-faced vulture Torgos tracheliotos: uplist from vulnerable to endangered
