123 vultures die in Kruger National Park

MORE than 100 vultures have died in a mass poisoning in the Kruger National Park, one of the largest such incidents recorded in Southern Africa.

- WENDY JASSON DA COSTA

The discovery was made on Thursday in the Mahlangeni section of the park, after the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s (EWT) poisoning detection system triggered an alert at 6.0Sam, flagging suspicious activity in a remote area. A joint SANParks and EWT team was mobilised and arrived at the scene about two hours later.

Eleanor Momberg the EWT’s communications manager said it was one of the largest poisonings seen at the park.

“They discovered the grim reality; a mass poisoning events involving hundreds of vultures, the result of an elephant carcass laced with highly toxic agrochemical pesticides — poison laid by poachers to harvest body parts for the illegal wildlife trade.”

Momberg said the initial responders found two vultures that were severely affected about 500m from the poisoned elephant carcass. These vultures were treated using emergency vulture first aid which consists of atropine, activated charcoal and fluid therapy.

“Reinforcements were swiftly deployed.”

In total, 116 vultures were initially found dead at the scene and 84 were rescued. What followed, she said, was a co-ordinated, high-intensity rescue effort.