Save the vulture

Mmegi Editor | Tuesday August 19, 2014 14:13

Where a decade ago there were several thousands vultures from various species, only a few hundred remain in Botswana. Some species are now classified as nearly extinct and others as critically endangered. To a less informed person, no one should complain that so many of the ‘stinky birds’ were destroyed. What they would not know is that the death of only a few birds is catastrophic, for a number of reasons.

Chief among these is the fact that when so many vultures die, entire generations are wiped out. This is because a vulture lays only one egg in five years, and only at age five does a vulture become ready to start laying that one egg. So when so many birds are destroyed, entire families and lineages are wiped out. Sadly, vultures fly and eat in families. An entire colony made up of the same species, each potentially a blood relative of the other, will descend on some rotting carrion and ensure they leave nothing except the bones and skin. This is where our people get the saying ‘manong a ja ka losika’. Because they eat en-masse, the birds are vulnerable to enemies.

Poachers are especially aware of the vulnerability of vultures and often poison the carcasses of the animals they kill so the birds cannot alert game rangers and other security personnel to the location of their crime.

 That is what happened in nearly all the cases in northern Botswana reported over the last several months. The poachers sprinkled cyanide on the carcasses of elephants from which they had hacked the tusks. Following the incident, bird conservation NGOs such as Birdlife Botswana called out for help to save the vulture. Sadly, their cry appears to be falling on deaf ears.

The apparent disinterest could be due to the fact people – including top government officials - simply do not care or do not understand the value of these birds.  But we know that vultures are an important part of the ecosystem.  As they fly over your home en-route to their abode over some hill, they do so having taken along with them some deadly animal disease such as anthrax. The birds are immune to pathogens. They are biological incinerators designed to help us. We are, however, disappointed at government’s apparent ‘take-it-easy’ attitude towards vulture conservation.

Government should be more pro-active, not jut in public education – which also needs to be intensified - but also by banning poisons that are easily available and are used by poachers. The Ministries of Agriculture and Wildlife should take the lead in working together with Birdlife and other conservation organisations to protect the vulture. If we will not do it for our generation, at least let us save the vulture for posterity.

Today’s thought

“I want African Vultures ALIVE – not DEAD”. -Birdlife headline message for

the African vulture campaign