Centre’s endangered Cape vulture gets a mate

Crocworld Conservation Centre’s Horace the Cape vulture is preening his feathers, as he welcomes his new girlfriend, Cites who is also of the same species.

The Cape vulture, which is on the endangered species list, plays a vital role in the ecosystem.

“Vultures are on the endangered species list, and we would like to do everything possible to encourage their survival,” said centre manager, Martin Rodrigues.

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Both Horace and Cites are part of Crocworld Conservation Centre’s conservation and breeding vulture programme, which was launched earlier this year.

Due to the high conservation importance of vultures, the centre has built an enclosure specifically to house the Cape vulture and the African white backed vulture, which is on the critically endangered list.

Similar to Horace’s story, Cites, a juvenile female vulture, was recovered within the Oribi Gorge area in February, after colliding with a power line. She was badly injured, with her left wing having several open fractures.

The damage was extremely severe, prompting a decision to amputate the wing rather than euthanise the bird, due to its endangered conservation status.

Rodrigues said Cites is now fully recovered and he hopes she will play a vital role in the breeding programme, so that her healthy offspring can be released back into the wild.

The public is welcome to visit the new lovebirds, Horace and Cites, at the Crocworld Conservation Centre.

Visit www.crocworld.co.za, or the Facebook page ‘Crocworld Conservation Centre‘.

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