We’re excited to announce a new conservation and rehabilitation project to help and protect Vulnerable Cape Vultures in South Africa! Partnering with Blouberg Nature Reserve, our work involves supporting their initiative to rescue and rehabilitate young vultures.
The stunning Blouberg landscape is home to approximately 1200 nests of Cape Vultures, making it one of the largest breeding colonies of this species in the world. However, these birds face a serious threat. Around the same time as their breeding season, the Blouberg area has its rainiest season. Huge storms and intense downpours often result in young vultures, who have only just begun finding their wings after fledging their parent’s nest, grounded and stuck. Sodden through, these birds are stranded, sometimes with catastrophic consequences.
Without a means of escape, the young Cape Vultures can be preyed upon by traders looking to capture animals for ’muti’ – the practice of using animal body parts for belief-based purposes. Vultures are sought after by these traders for muti because of the belief, amongst others, that by ingesting or smoking vulture brains, people will be granted the ability to see into the future or have prophetic visions. The muti trade has had devastating impacts on vulture populations in several parts of Africa, where vultures are captured and sold or poisoned in huge numbers, contributing to their declining populations.
In an attempt to counteract the trading of Cape Vultures, the Blouberg Nature Reserve launched a recovery project, offering rewards for collecting un-injured but grounded young vultures. At the same time, they also run an education programme to promote vulture conservation within the area. With more awareness raised about the plight of these vultures and how important they are, coupled with an incentive to bring the birds to the facility instead of selling them into the muti market, the hope is more farmers, citizens and traders will be encouraged to protect and conserve these precious birds.
Since the programme was started, unfortunately illegal trade prices offered for vultures has increased. Once rehabilitating over fifty vultures, the facility has struggled to keep up with new traders and increased demand from the the muti market. With support from the Hawk Conservancy Trust, the reserve is now able to offer a larger reward than before, with aims to spark more interest from locals to bring in any un-injured grounded vultures they find, instead of the muti alternative.
As well as financial support, the Trust is also planning to support the education programme run by the Reserve, inspiring even more people to recognise the importance of these incredible birds. With vultures only laying one egg each year, the survival of each young vulture is vital. Together, with your support, we can give these birds a chance at reaching adulthood – where they can in turn rear young of their own, keeping this species forever flying over the skies of southern Africa.
Photo credit: Andre Botha and Blouberg Nature Reserve
