Vultures are caught in a vicious cycle of death :: Mmegi Online

While vultures are listed as either endangered or vulnerable in Botswana, these birds of prey face extinction from poisoning by poachers who detest them for revealing their presence by circling over the elephants poachers kill for ivory and farmers who kill the birds unwittingly when they poison carcasses of donkeys in order to kill animals that prey on their livestock, writes MORERI GABAKGORE

Botswana is home to five of the eight vulture species found in Africa. The five are the hooded, the white-backed, the lappet-faced, the white-headed and cape vultures.

Two of these, the white-backed and the hooded vultures, are listed as endangered species in the country. Infact, all vultures in Botswana are listed as either endangered or vulnerable according to a press release from Birdlife Botswana, which says the population of vultures has dwindled drastically in recent years due mainly to poisoning by poachers and some farmers.

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