Botswana raptors face extinction

ISAAC PINIELO
Correspondent | Wednesday January 26, 2011 00:00

'Only 10 species of the Bateleurs were recorded in Kgalagadi and Chobe areas,' a press statement from Birdlife Botswana revealed. The statement reveals the findings of a Bird Population Monitoring programme that was conducted in November last year by Birdlife Botswana in conjunction with the Department of Wildlife National Parks (DWNP).

Globally threatened vultures, according to the statement, were also reported, including 17 White-backed Vultures within Kgalagadi, Chobe and Central Districts, two Lappet-faced Vulture Bibing in Kgalagadi, one White-headed Vulture at Kasane and five Cape Vultures at Mannyelanong and Sefhare. These numbers, it states, do not represent total population estimates in sampled areas, nor will they be used to estimate population sizes.

'Rather the intention is to use the data from repeat counts of the same transect to infer the birds' population trends, and likely causes of population changes,' reads the release. Earlier research has shown that the eagle and the vulture are among the endangered species and that they may face extinction in the next half century unless governments make efforts to save them. It is understood that raptor counts conducted throughout Botswana, more than a decade ago, showed that Bateleur and eagle numbers already showed a decrease with increasing distance from a protected area.

These raptors are said to be quite sensitive to disturbance when breeding, but it was reported that they are under threat from poachers and farmers. In the past there were reports that some farmers killed these raptors by poisoning them. Bateleurs scavenge, to a large extent, and since they are airborne before vultures, they are often the first to arrive at a laced carcass that would be left out to kill lions, hyenas and jackals.

Birdlife Botswana membership officer, Lesego Ratsie said indications are that farmers who might have been fed up with hyenas and jackals that kill their livestock laced the cow with poison in an attempt to kill these carnivores. She said these carnivores would then die on the spot whereupon vultures would devour them.

'This in turn leads to the death of these birds,' she said worriedly. According to Ratsie, this calls for alarm considering the fact that eagles and vultures lay only one egg in a year. 'If it happens that this egg gets eaten by a snake, or gets distracted somehow, then there would be no chick hatched that year,' she said.

Out of concern, she said, they have organised an awareness campaign to sensitise farmers to stop poisoning animals and to suggest other methods like using dogs to guard livestock. She also called on the government to prohibit the sale of the poison used by farmers, which she said is overly potent. She said farmers should also collect carcasses after the death of an animal.