Hundreds of vulture researchers and conservation managers have
been engaging with the VCF and other organisations to prepare the Vulture
Multi-Species Action Plan - a seminal piece of work commissioned by the Raptors
MoU of the Convention for Migratory Species (CMS), and that aims to plan and
guide conservation policy and actions for the next decade on the conservation
of the 15 old world vultures. The main message that has resonated across the
many meetings and workshops held is one – poison is the biggest threat to
vultures worldwide.
This once again came to light yesterday [22 May] – ironically,
when we are celebrating the International biodiversity day – when news that at
least 94 African White-backed Vultures were found dead around a poisoned
elephant carcass on the Zimbabwe-Mozambican border, one more victim of the
rampant poaching for ivory in that part of the world.
The vultures were victims of what experts call “sentinel
poisoning” – they were killed with a potent poison so as not to alert wildlife
enforcement brigades about the presence of the carcass, so that poachers could
hack the ivory out without being detected.
The scene has been properly investigated and is being
decontaminated to prevent any additional poisoning from taking place.
This is yet another devastating blow to African vultures – and
a sign that the African vulture crisis continues unabated. Most of African
vulture species are now either critically endangered or endangered. This
poisoning incident will have even bigger consequences as the breeding season
for African white-backs is now starting in that part of the world – many of the
dead birds would be adult birds attending a nest.
At least two of the killed birds were wing-tagged, originating
in South Africa and Swaziland – another reminder that conservation knowns no
borders and needs concerted international action – such as the vulture MSAP and
events like´ International Biodiversity Day.
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