The Maluti-Drakensberg Vulture Project is working to prevent the decline of cliff nesting vultures in the Maluti- Drakensberg mountains and surrounds where they are under major threat, largely due to poisoning and collision (and electrocution in the case of capes) with power lines. The Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is endangered in southern Africa, there are only 50-100 breeding pairs left, and the Cape Vulture (Gyps coprotheres) is vulnerable and is endemic to southern Africa. Sonja Krüger, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife ecologist for the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site, who has run the Vulture programme since 2000, has been monitoring the movements and nesting sites of these two species in the mountainous regions of the Drakensberg and Lesotho in order to determine their movement patterns and to identify possible threats to them.
Initially monitoring work was achieved through catching and tagging birds in order to identify them when they were sighted at feeding sites or in the air, and then in August 2007 the ability to more accurately track the movements of the birds became possible through the purchase and fitting of satellite transmitters. Devices were fitted on three Bearded Vultures in the Underberg in 2007, and in 2008 a further two were fitted to Bearded Vulture chicks in Lesotho.
In June 2009 one of the chicks was found dead in the Eastern Cape, and forensic tests confirmed poisoning. This can happen accidentally as livestock that are medicated and then die can be poisonous to vultures, or farmers may be trying to kill predators and Bearded Vultures are killed accidentally by eating the bait meant for predators like jackal. Vultures perform a vital function in getting rid of dead livestock, but some carcasses are lethal and it is a huge challenge for the Vulture Project to communicate this. Vultures can also be poisoned by lead from a bullet present in a carcass. Through workshops and distribution of media the project attempts to educate on the dangers of poisons to vultures.
In August 2009 Sonja Krüger and her team were able to fit further satellite transmitters to five Bearded Vultures and one Cape Vulture in the Underberg region. In March 2010 all six birds were active and data was indicating that one bird was moving further afield than others. “One of the male Bearded Vultures is a year older and he is moving in an area of 44 thousand square kms, more than twice that of the younger birds, moving between Lesotho, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.” Krüger said. Over time they will gather data from these transmitters that will indicate the patterns in their movements and this understanding helps Sonja’s team focus on the areas the birds frequent most and the project can actively make the areas safer and also provide safe food sources.
A competition was run towards the end of 2009 in schools near the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park to “Name the Vultures”, which aimed to find names for the vultures that were fitted with satellite transmitters during 2009.Winning names such as Umcocimathafa, which means “cleans up the environment”, Inkosi Yeentaka which means “king of birds” and Umadlizidumbu, which means “eats carcasses” is a clear indication that the children are learning about vultures and what they are about.
The poisoning of vultures is happening accidentally but it also occurs through environmental crime. Poachers are poisoning vultures with the deadly agricultural chemical Aldicarb amongst other poisons (known by the brand name Temik) in order to use their body parts for muthi (traditional medicine), as it is believed that they possess clairvoyant powers. Steve McKean, Resource Ecologolist for the uKhahlamba Drakensberg region, explains that the use of vulture parts for muti is a serious health risk to the human population. “As little as two grams of Temik can kill an adult human. In whatever form the vulture parts are being used by traditional medicine practitioners, they need to be made aware that they are not only killing red data species but may be poisoning their clients if the muthi is ingested.”
Krüger said that there was concern about an increase in vulture poaching during the 2010 Soccer World Cup as vulture parts were used for predictions in gambling. There were plans in place to increase feeding of vultures within the protected areas to encourage them to remain where they would perhaps be less vulnerable to poaching.
The provision of food at vulture feeding sites is an attempt to provide a constant safe food source to birds within their range. Many farmers are becoming involved in vulture conservation by disposing of carcasses safely on their properties and creating vulture “restaurants”. Safe, known sources of foods for the vultures are being created to minimise the risks to the birds both in protected areas and on privately owned land.
Said Krüger of the progress made possible in the last three years: “We have come a long way and raised awareness hugely. Vultures are now on the agenda. Poison intervention and interactions with power lines remain the biggest threats to the birds and we need to keep the pressure on to help prevent the further decline in the numbers of both the Bearded and the Cape Vulture.”
The Wildlands Conservation Trust supports formal conservation agencies through their Biodiversity Management Support Programme (BMSP). From July 2007 to March 2010 a range of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife projects received funding from Wildlands through their Conservation Capital Fund (CCF) as well as from the Wild Series, a set of multisport challenges held across KwaZulu-Natal. Many of these projects seek to protect rare and endangered species and habitats, some of which are vulnerable to environmental crime such as poaching.
WILDTRUST (registered as the Wildlands Conservation Trust - IT No: 4329/1991/PMB)