Over 70 vultures killed in mass poisonings
In the first two few weeks of 2016 two mass poisonings of vultures in Africa have come to light. The latest incidents add to an ever growing flow of occurrences of mass poisoning of vultures in Africa, many of which involve Endangered species.
On 6 January on a government-owned ranch called ADC Mutara in Laikipia County, north central Kenya. After losing 4 cows to a lion attack, local herders poisoned 3 cow carcasses – as a result at least 32 White-backed and Ruppell's Vultures and a Tawny Eagle were poisoned. There was no indication that any lions or hyenas died.
Most interestingly, two cows were also poisoned due to grazing on grass that had been contaminated by either vulture vomit or faeces – this just shows how deadly toxic these chemicals are and that poisoning should never be used as a retaliation measure. The poisoned carcasses were only burnt one week after the incident, so the number of victims is probably larger.
Then within a few days, this time in Zimbabwe there was another mass poisoning report. One lioness and 41 White-backed Vultures were found dead on the Zimbabwean side of the Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area.
Reports from the ground suggest that a disgruntled cattle farmer used poison to kill the lions.
The plight of African vultures has reached the international conservation agenda, with several species declining rapidly, up to the point that the IUCN decided recently to downgrade the conservations status of 6 species, including 4 that became now critically endangered, including the Ruppell´s Vulture.
One of the main factors leading to this decline is the widespread use of poison in the African continent, against predators, or sometimes used by poachers. In the last few years many cases of massive poisoning of vultures have been reported, mostly in eastern and southern Africa.
Vulture Conservation Foundation
January 2015
