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South Africa, Our Burning Planet

Carrion regardless — Cape vulture’s return a ‘huge step forward’ for species’ conservation

Carrion regardless — Cape vulture’s return a ‘huge step forward’ for species’ conservation
Vultures are obligate scavengers and thus rely on predators to hunt and leave carcasses for the bird species to feed on. This role is pivotal in preventing the spread of disease to other wildlife, livestock and humans. (Photo: Chris Elsey)
Jamie Venter
By Jamie Venter
29 Jan 2025
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Cape vultures observed scavenging off a naturally predated carcass for the first time sparks optimism for the future of the species through ongoing conservation efforts.

The unmistakable stench of death is caught in the air, a predator’s scraps the source, and vultures are circling. But these scavengers are not a  harbinger of doom. Instead the birds are a signal of hope for the species and a return to their vital role as nature’s clean-up crew. 

The carcass of a blessbok killed by an unknown predator became the setting of an exciting observation at Shamwari Private Game Reserve on Friday, 24 January, when about 15 Cape vultures were sighted scavenging on the remains. It’s the first time wild vultures have been seen feeding on the remains of a naturally predated animal at Shamwari. 

Vultures are obligate scavengers and rely on predators to hunt and to break through the tough hide of carcasses that their beaks cannot penetrate in order to feed, so the presence of vultures on the blessbok kill is a “huge step forward for vulture conservation”, said Kerri Wolter, CEO of the vulture conservation organisation Vulpro at Shamwari.

“Historically the area was not vulture friendly,” explained Wolter. Farming and land-use practices limited the number of predators that would have created feeding opportunities, driving vultures out of the area in search of resources. 

“Vultures were persecuted by landowners and farmers,” said Wolter, adding that vultures were “poisoned due to human-wildlife conflict which also resulted in the birds not being present in the area”.

However, the area has changed and land being turned into reserves has made it safer for the birds, and the return of wild Cape vultures “means the balance is being restored to its former natural state which is extremely exciting”, said Wolter.

Clean beak of health


Vultures are experts in waste management because they feed on the carrion of recently deceased animals. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature vultures help prevent the spread of disease by consuming meat and bone fragments before they rot, and are essential to the health of the wider ecosystem.

The Raptor Research Foundation found that decline in vulture populations has disrupted the regulation of disease, since carcasses are left to decompose for longer and mammalian scavengers are more exposed to diseased carrion as a result. These scavengers, such as jackals and dogs, are then able to spread viral transmission through contact with other wildlife, livestock and humans.

A Cape Vulture that could not be released back to the wild due to injury is kept in captivity at the Vulpro at Shamwari breeding facility so that its offspring may one day be released into the wild population. (Photo: Jamie Venter)



“The loss of vultures could lead to serious ecological and public health consequences, such as the spread of disease from unprocessed carcasses and increased human-wildlife conflict, including the rise in stray dog populations and associated rabies cases,” said the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) in marking International Vulture Awareness Day 2024. 

The reduction of vulture populations in India has been linked to the spread of disease and the rapid loss of vultures has reportedly caused about 100,000 additional human deaths per year as a result.

Read more: Kruger Park vultures felled by poachers’ highly toxic poison

According to the DFFE, in South Africa there has been a similar dramatic decline in wild vulture populations over the past 30 years due to various threats including poaching practices like poisoning, collisions with energy infrastructure such as powerlines and wind turbines, and continuing habitat loss. 

Safeguarding a species


Currently there are only 6,357 breeding pairs of Cape vulture globally, which is why Vulpro at Shamwari set its sights on population restocking and supplementation through the release of captive-bred vultures in the Eastern Cape.

The first captive-bred Cape vulture chick was hatched on Tuesday, 11 June 2024 and is expected to be released in 2025. 

Read more: First endangered Cape Vulture chick hatches in captivity in the Eastern Cape

Despite this success, the threats continue to pose daily challenges, with birds succumbing to injuries associated with powerline collisions and electrocutions in the area. 

Cape Vultures were observed scavenging off a naturally predated carcass while four more circled above in a historic first for Shamwari Game Reserve since the reintroduction of the bird. (Photo: Chris Elsey)



Vultures are obligate scavengers and thus rely on predators to hunt and leave carcasses for the bird species to feed on. This role is pivotal in preventing the spread of disease to other wildlife, livestock and humans. (Photo: Chris Elsey)



“We have also had wild, captive-bred and rehabbed birds that have died fairly recently from the close-by wind farms,” Wolter said. 

“This shows these deaths are not related to captive-bred birds or rehabbed birds, but in fact that this is a major threat all vultures are facing in the country.”

There is nowhere safe for vultures in South Africa, but given the rampant poaching in the lowveld coupled with the Eastern Cape’s vast available space and the vultures’ ability forage widely, Wolter believes that when the odds are weighed up this area is “potentially the safest place in a country that is not safe”. 

“We know that we are going to have fatalities, but the idea is to have more successes than fatalities,” Wolter explained. “If the birds disappear for good and we try to look at reintroduction, it is incredibly difficult to get communities to remember living in harmony with a forgotten species. 

“When a species disappears we become too accustomed to using those resources or those areas that would have been inhabited by that species, so we need to have that constant reminder of the species otherwise there is no chance of trying to put the birds back in a safe manner. 

“Reintroducing Cape vultures to Shamwari is not just important, it’s a transformative step in our conservation journey,” said Wolter, adding that their presence will enhance the ecological integrity of the reserve and the entire Eastern Cape. DM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REeWvTRUpMk

 

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