Threat to the near extinction of vultures
NORTHCLIFF – Northcliff Ridge might have lost its vultures, but conservatives are determined to save vultures from extinction.
Vultures have seen their share of near extinction with Northcliff Ridge having lost its winged habitant.
Northcliff Ridge was formerly known as Aavoëlkop (Vulture Ridge) because of the prevalence of vultures within the cliff’s frontiers.
According to the City of Johannesburg, Northcliff Ridge is now completely void of vultures.
South Africa, Botswana and Namibia will join hands in the plight to save southern Africa’s vultures.
Conservationists and NGOs have recognised the dire need for a united conservation awareness campaign across these countries. They argued that there is an urgent need to conserve the vulture species in Africa, before being faced with an African vulture crisis which is presently looming.
The project, a first on this scale and to be undertaken during the first week in April, will seek to strengthen vulture conservation efforts across southern Africa.
It will bring together and facilitate capacity building of various interest groups including government officials, farmers, local community members and nature conservation officials across the three countries.
This will be done by creating greater awareness and education on the plight of vultures, their unnecessary poisoning and their importance to the ecosystem and communities.
Initial monitoring last year reflected a massive decline of vulture numbers throughout Africa. Numbers of vultures killed during 2013 escalated when elephant poachers realized that after the birds had eaten from the killed carcasses, they would take to the air in their hundreds. This “fly off” often alerted authorities to the incident and thus began the start of heavily lacing the dead carcasses with poison after removing the ivory.
It’s believe thousands of vultures have died in this way during 2013 alone. South Africa is now in crisis mode and these coordinated series of events are one way to bring this plight to the attention of the general public.
Vultures play a vital role as free sanitary workers and are believed to avert epidemics of anthrax and botulism in livestock, wildlife and human populations. They’re also invaluable to farmers, as they pinpoint dead or sick livestock, and warn of poachers’ whereabouts.
Details: Kerri Wolter 082 808 5113 www.vulpro.com
