Saving The Cape Vulture

Saving The Cape Vulture

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28years ago 

The Cape vulture has long been considered advantageous to livestock farmers, but the species has now been classified as endangered. This article outlines how farmers can help in the conservation of this bird.

“Farmers in the south-western Cape are playing an important part in conserving the Cape vulture, a magnificent but highly threatened bird whose population in the area has dramatically dropped to about 80 birds, including 25 breeding pairs.

“Various factors are to blame, but the indiscriminate use of poisons to control problem animals is considered the main reason. The unchecked use of poisons such as strychnine and folidor has already caused the extinction of the Cape vulture in large parts of Southern Africa.

“Vultures feed exclusively on carrion, their heavy beaks and strong claws making short work of carcasses. Fifty vultures can reduce a sheep or springbok carcass to skin and bone within 20 minutes.