Help save SA’s struggling vulture population

With the end of the year upon us, people are making plans for their December holidays and family festivities. VulPro, on the other hand, is gearing up for the start of their busy vulture-rehabilitation season.

Very soon, young vultures will start leaving their nests, undertaking their maiden flights. Unfortunately, it does not always go according to plan, and these inexperienced individuals sometimes find themselves in precarious and odd situations.

For this reason, VulPro is appealing to the public to help them save every single individual possible, by simply keeping a lookout and reporting any and all grounded or injured individuals immediately, reports Alberton Record.

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Africa is in the throes of a vulture crisis, with most species being listed as endangered or critically endangered, and all of us ought to help stop this trend.

VulPro will collect all injured vultures throughout South Africa, as a point has been reached where every single individual makes a difference.

Furthermore, VulPro thanks the public for all their efforts of reporting such incidents thus far, along with power line electrocution and collision incidents, and urges the public to continue doing so.

This information is immensely valuable as, firstly, it facilitates the rescue and rehabilitation of vultures which would otherwise have been lost to wild populations.

Secondly, it provides VulPro with vital insights regarding power-line incidents. This information is utilised in order to mitigate these threats and minimise the number of vulture injuries and fatalities caused by these structures.

VulPro has also witnessed an increase in the need for a rehabilitation centre for all animal species. Thus, they are opening their doors to all injured individuals, be it vultures, birds of prey, or mammals. They will be able to provide critically-needed care and source the most suitable facility for the injured species.

Vulpro had to amputate this lappet-faced vulture’s left wing after it collided with a power line. (Image provided by VulPro)

If you should come across any injured vulture, or any other individual animal in need of assistance, please contact VulPro immediately.

They are available at all hours, and in many of these incidents, urgency is of critical importance. You can contact Kerri Wolter on 082 808 5113 or Charné Wilhelmi on 084 898 4659.

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