Durban - A vulture poisoning incident took place on Sunday in Zululand, northern KwaZulu-Natal
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and its conservation partner Wildlife ACT said in a statement on Wednesday that 47 White-backed vultures and five Tawny Eagles were found dead.
Of the 47 carcasses found, 35 had their heads removed. Five live individuals, which had not yet succumbed to the poisoning, were recovered and taken to a rehabilitation facility for further treatment.
They said a criminal case has been instituted with the South African Police Service.
“The swift response by conservation officials, who have been trained to handle such poisoning events, decontaminated the scene to ensure that no further fatalities occurred.”
Brent Coverdale, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife’s Mammal and Bird Scientist, said one of the key threats within South Africa, is poisoning of vultures for use in the traditional medicine trade, and this is highlighted within the draft Management Plan for South African Vultures.
Earlier this month, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment released the Biodiversity Management Plan (BMP) for South African Vultures for public comment.
“Wildlife ACT was extremely saddened by the discovery of this recent mass vulture poisoning. Vultures are a vital component of our ecosystem’s functionality, yet we have seen a drastic decline of the local breeding population over the past few years due to poisoning, despite our best efforts.
“We urge the public to engage with the BMP commenting process before the deadline,” said Anel Olivier, Wildlife ACT’s Vulture Conservation Programme Manager.
The draft BMP can be accessed here: https://www.dffe.gov.za/sites/default/files/gazetted_notices/nemba_multispecies.bmp_southafricanvultures_g47632gon2817.pdf
The commenting period for the BMP ends on January 2, 2023.