Settling into a brand new home
Horace the Cape Vulture is – hopefully – the key to a new breeding programme
A CAPE Vulture, which was injured after flying into a power line, has become the first resident at a new enclosure at the Crocworld Conservation Centre in Scottburgh, on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast.
After his accident last year, Horace was recovered from Underberg by the Raptor Rescue Rehabilitation Centre in Pietermaritzburg.
The centre rescues, rehabilitates and releases injured, ill and distressed birds of prey.
Horace had a broken right wing with two irreparable open fractures.
“Horace’s wing had to be amputated, which made him a very unhappy patient,” said Tammy Caine, the manager of the Raptor Rescue Rehabilitation Centre.
Horace’s wound was reinfected several times after he ripped off the dressing and plucked out the stitches. As a result, he had to undergo a second amputation, higher up on the wing. Now, after a long road to recovery, the wing has finally healed.
Horace has been moved to Crocworld, which has just launched its own conservation and vulture-breeding programme.
Horace’s new home is a custom-made enclosure, specifically built to house the Cape Vulture, which is endangered, as well as the African White Backed Vulture, which on the critically-endangered list.
Martin Rodrigues, the manager of the Crocworld Conservation Centre, said up to six birds could be housed there. They hoped to accommodate males and females, which would hopefully WEDNESDAY MARCH 01 2017 breed.
“And once the offspring are old enough, they will be released into the wild. We want to do everything possible to encourage the survival of the Cape Vulture,” he said.