After six months of rehabilitation, five African white-backed vultures were released back into the wild at the beginning of June 2023.
Wildlife ACT, alongside its collaborators Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Raptor Rescue Rehabilitation Centre, and Dr Mike Toft, oversaw the release on Manyoni Private Game Reserve.
The Zululand Vulture Project, which works assiduously to conserve vultures in KwaZulu-Natal, released these vultures as part of its conservation efforts.
A significant portion of this work entails responding to poisoned, injured, or otherwise compromised vultures, administering appropriate emergency care, and transporting these birds to its rehabilitation partner, Raptor Rescue Rehabilitation Centre, and wildlife veterinarian, Dr Mike Toft.
This accredited rehabilitation centre administered professional treatment and care to the birds until they were ready for release.
At a mass wildlife poisoning incident in December 2022, the Wildlife ACT Emergency Response Team rescued and treated five poisoned African white-backed vultures before transporting them to the Raptor Rescue Rehabilitation Centre for further care.
Five of the seven vulture species found in South Africa are designated as endangered or critically endangered on the international Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. Forty-nine critically endangered vulture deaths were recorded at the rescue site.
The four surviving birds were released alongside another vulture that was discovered with a broken wing earlier in 2022, necessitating a considerably extended rehabilitation period.
Before being released, the five rehabilitated vultures were implanted with patagial tags, leg rings, and GPS tracking devices. This will allow the Wildlife ACT team to monitor their movements after release, respond to emergencies, and evaluate the rehabilitation's effectiveness.
Poisoning is presently considered to be the most significant threat to vultures. More than 145 vultures perished in Zululand alone in 2022 as a result of intentional poisoning for the illegal wildlife trade.
Historically, KZN sustained the most southern range of healthy tree-nesting vulture breeding populations. Since 2012, there has been a decline in tree-nesting vulture species in KwaZulu-Natal, with an estimated 81% decline in tree-nesting pairs in the northern Zululand reproductive cluster. This is predominantly attributable to the increase in intentional poisoning.
By cleaning up carcasses and other organic detritus and reducing the risk of pathogen transmission to humans, vultures perform a crucial service for the ecosystem.
This ecosystem service is essential for human health and the economy of KwaZulu-Natal due to the region's high livestock population and human population's direct dependence on the environment.
Nevertheless, vulture populations are declining rapidly, and we are in the midst of the so-called African vulture crisis. While conservationists work to eliminate threats and create a safer habitat for them to exist in, every bird saved and released, regardless of species, is considered a success.
Wondering what you can do to help save these magnificent birds? The success of these five vultures was made possible by the generosity of benefactors who are devoted to wildlife conservation.
When it comes to vulture monitoring and conservation, the value of surveillance devices cannot be overstated. Consequently, Wildlife ACT's Vulture Conservation Programme requires 10 additional surveillance units to meet its annual goal.
Environment