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Home » WATCH Beautiful Vulture Fly Free in Zululand Conservation Project

WATCH Beautiful Vulture Fly Free in Zululand Conservation Project

Today is a big day for vulture conservation, with Wildlife Act and Raptor Rescue in South Africa, as they will be releasing three rehabilitated African White-backed vulture back into the wild after they were poisoned in Zululand last year. (Watch video at bottom of page of a vulture being released.) In spite of lockdown, conservation […]

By Cassie Jo
25-06-20 08:31
in Environment
vulture-flies-free-zululand

Today is a big day for vulture conservation, with Wildlife Act and Raptor Rescue in South Africa, as they will be releasing three rehabilitated African White-backed vulture back into the wild after they were poisoned in Zululand last year. (Watch video at bottom of page of a vulture being released.)

African White-Backed Vulture
PHOTO: Wildlife ACT – Focused Conservation – Chris Kelly (Wildlife ACT) releasing newly-tagged African White-Backed Vulture P072

In spite of lockdown, conservation work has continued… and the Zululand Vulture Project is no exception – a combined effort by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, White Elephant Safaris and Manyoni Private Game Reserve – which capture birds for tagging, fit light GPS ‘backpack’ transmitters to some and test the birds for lead levels in their blood.

Vulture
PHOTO: Wildlife ACT – Focused Conservation – Bill measurements being taken of M045, a Lappet-Faced Vulture first captured and tagged as fledgling in uMkhuze Game Reserve in 2016. The bird was now been fitted with a GPS backpack to help better understand this species in the region.
Vulture
Photo credit: Love Africa Marketing
Vulture
Photo credit: Love Africa Marketing

Chris Kelly (pictured above), Director – Species Conservation, Wildlife ACT, says: “Vultures play an extremely important role in the ecosystem, cleaning up carcasses in the field, recycling nutrients and reducing the spread of disease from such carcasses.

“This element of our work focuses on better understanding and learning from their fine-scale movements and habits to improve conservation measures, thus ensuring more effective protection of the species.”

The numbers of African White-Backed, White-Headed and Lappet-Faced Vultures in KZN sadly show a rapid decline, so this work is essential. The conservation efforts also help identify and respond to poisoning events.

Vulture
Photo credit: Love Africa Marketing
Vulture
Photo credit: Love Africa Marketing

Nicola Gerrard from Love Africa Marketing says she was recently “privileged to witness the most incredible conservation efforts by Wildlife ACT and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife with their work on vultures.

“This species is yet another one that needs careful monitoring, research and increased public awareness on their threats and the conservation needed to protect them.”

If you can support these conservation efforts, your support would be greatly appreciated. Please donate here.

WATCH VIDEO Vulture flies free in Zululand Vulture Project, South Africa

Filmed by: Love Africa Marketing

Please follow Wildlife ACT – Focused Conservation or visit their website here.