Critically endangered white-backed vultures released into the wild
VULTURES around the world face extinction in our lifetime, a frightening prospect considering they offer an integral clean-up service to the ecosystem.
The white-backed vulture, once the most common and widespread vulture species, has experienced a serious decline in recent years, disappearing altogether in some of their former range.
This is a result of multiple factors, such as electrical infrastructure and their perceived value for traditional medicines or ‘muthi’.
Being scavengers, vultures cast their eyes downwards to scan for carcasses, often causing them to fly into power lines they don't see until it is too late.
The use of vultures in traditional medicine is another serious factor as poachers routinely poison them to obtain their body parts.
Three white-backed vultures were released by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife in the Pongola Game Reserve on Saturday.
Two of the three had been victims of poisoning, and were rehabilitated over six months.
The third one had fallen out of its nest as a chick, and nursed until old enough to be released.
Ezemvelo bird and animal scientist Brent Caverdale said the release is only the beginning of the rehabilitation process.
‘The vultures have been fitted with satellite monitoring devices so we can monitor their progress and where they journey to.
'The difficult thing about vulture conservation is that you cannot fencein a vulture; we release them here in Pongola, and in two days’ time they are in Botswana.
'This is why it is so important to consistently monitor their movements.
'Hopefully, in around five years the vultures will begin to breed, and there will be more hope for the species.’
The vultures were successfully released and a carcass placed in the area to see if they would feed - and they obliged.
*Open your PixzAR app and scan the framed image to see the vultures being
released