African vultures will be extinct within five years

Unless there are drastic changes in the poisoning of vultures – considered the most significant threat to all South African vultures – then the African white-backed vulture (Gyps africanus) will be extinct in the next four to five years.

Following another mass vulture poisoning, which left 47 white-backed vulture carcasses – 35 of which had their heads removed – conservationists and experts said vultures faced numerous threats which will leave the species extinct.

Extinction

Kerri Wolter, founder and CEO of conservation organisation Vulpro, said the white-backed vulture was already considered extinct as a breeding species in Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal, “and this threat just continues to escalate because of the economic crisis where we are in”.

“The threat of vulture harvesting for muti is on the increase, and is what we saw in Kruger National Park,” she added.

“We’ve seen that in Botswana over the last couple of months, and in Kenya as well.”

Other vulture species, such as the white-headed and Cape vultures, were not isolated in protected areas because they foraged, Wolter said.

“So we need community buy-in. We need to work with the community and we need the community to become custodians of protecting vultures.

“Not only communities, but landowners, farm owners and the public – it’s the only way we are going to save these birds.

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“Organisations such as Eskom need to get involved in order to mitigate against extensive, negative power line interactions, such as electrocutions and collisions,” Wolter said.

Myths on vultures

Traditional healer Elliot Ndlovu dismissed myths that consuming, smoking or inhaling muti derived from dried-out vulture parts was beneficial for anything. “No, I don’t know about that.”

According to University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Prof Colleen Downs, white-headed, hooded and white-backed vultures were classified “critically endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

This was the highest category of threat, which meant they face a high risk of extinction in the wild, she said.

“Vulture populations in Africa have been on the decline for the past 30 years and the main drivers have been identified and include poisoning, whether intentional or not,” Downs said.

“But also, electrocution from the collision with energy infrastructures, such as power lines, and habitat loss, caused by human encroachment, and even climate change.”

This year, more than 100 vultures in the Kruger Park died after feeding off a buffalo carcass laced with poison, while more than 50 white-backed vultures were found dead in Botswana’s northern Chobe district around the same time.

Brent Coverdale, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife’s mammal and bird scientist, said poisoning for use in the traditional medicine trade was a threat. “This is highlighted within the draft Management Plan.

“The numbers of breeding pairs of most tree-nesting species are decreasing in SA and in KZN, we have noted drastic declines of certain populations,” he said.

Increase in poisoning

“The current spate of poisonings is unsustainable and will lead to the demise of vultures within SA and, simultaneously, devastating environmental consequences and the loss of cultural heritage.”

Given the vital role vultures play in cleaning up carcasses and other organic waste, the department of forestry, fisheries and the environment warned the decline in vulture populations could contribute to the spread of diseases among wild and domestic animals, as well as people.

The Kruger Park’s Isaac Phaahla said their awareness campaign was an ongoing educational project, in which they interacted with tribal authorities, the police and local policing forums.

He said it affected more than the poisoned individuals that die. “It is also about others that are nesting. Their chicks are also affected because there’s nobody to feed them any more and they might not be big enough to go and fend for themselves, so it also kills the chicks,” Phaahla said.