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white headed vulture

Nature’s Cleanup Crew is Endangered.

African vultures are facing a crisis.  In 2012, all African vultures, except one, were declared threated by Birdlife International after the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) review of species Red List Index had recorded lowest records of these species. 

About 61% vulture deaths are from poisoning.  This is due to the use of poisons by poachers of elephants and other animals, along with lead ammunition used by both hunters and poachers.  Vultures feed on carcasses in large numbers which makes them susceptible to poisoning.  Two noted poisoning hotspots in Zambia are around the Luangwa valley and the Southern parts of the Kafue Flats.  Other reasons for their population decline include traditional beliefs such as the use of vulture’s eyes to predict the future, harmful chemicals that are used to poison vultures, persecution because they are not pretty birds and deaths due to electrocution as a result of collisions with power cables and infrastructure.

Why should we care?

Vultures are iconic birds of prey and are vital to our ecosystems.  They are dubbed as nature’s most efficient scavengers because of their eating habits – being carnivorous they mostly feed on carrion.  They prefer fresh meat, but also consume carcasses that are so rotten it is toxic to other animals.  Mostly overlooked, vultures play a unique and important ecological role because they help prevent the spread of diseases, especially from old, rotting meat.  They are also useful as they alert wildlife authorities about dead animals and carcasses in the wild, as their large numbers are easily sighted from a distance, as they circle in the sky.

Not all hope is lost

In Zambia BirdWatch Zambia, are in partnership with the Endangered Wildlife Trust and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife, along with others, and are championing the conservation of vultures.  Their conservation activities include:

  • Establishing Vulture Safe Zones.  This is being achieved byworking with farmers and landowners to deliberately put out safe food for vultures, lessoning the risk of them being poisoned.
  • Spreading awareness on the vulture crisis.  Through tailored awareness programs, for instance in 2019, BirdWatch Zambia carried out interviews and visits to farmers and schools reaching over 5,000 individuals, telling them about the importance of vultures and their plight.
  • Wildlife Poisoning Response Training done in partnership with Endangered Wildlife Trust. This involves the provision of skills to individuals on how to identify poisoned birds, examining them and collecting evidence to be used in court cases.  They also equip them with skills on how to neutralize poisons and treat birds safely.   

If you would like to take part in vulture conservation projects run by BirdWatch Zambia, and their supporting partners, then visit www.birdwatchzambia.org ….

For more information on vulture species, follow this link