The Lappet-Faced Vulture, listed as endangered on the IUCN red list, is experiencing a dramatic population decline.
After intensive aerial surveys carried out by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and Wildlife ACT in September 2021, nest counts for Lappet-Faced Vultures show an alarming decline from 15 active nests in 2020 to just 6 in 2021.
Conservationists are concerned about ecosystem services, given the role played by vultures, especially in KZN’s mixed land-use, of agriculture, residential and protected areas.
Brent Coverdale, Large Mammal and Bird Scientist for Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, said back in August, “the 2021 vulture breeding continues to disappoint. Confirming zero White-Headed Vultures breeding in the province and a considerable decline in breeding Lappet’s is of grave concern. This decline is most probably attributed to the numerous poisoning events that have occurred in the latter part of 2020 and throughout 2021”.
Recently, a poisoned Lappet-Faced Vulture in the Northern breeding cluster was reported to the Zululand Vulture Project.
Wildlife ACT’s Emergency Response Team subsequently followed up on the nearest known Lappet-Faced Vulture nest in the area to determine whether the chick was still alive and if any adults were present.
Sadly, the large chick was found dead on the nest, suspected to have died from starvation due to the possible death of the parent birds.
This devastating event, together with another nest mortality recorded earlier in the season, has reduced the known active Lappet-Faced Vulture nests to only 4 individuals that fledged, in the province.
At this stage, the Lappet-Faced species appears to be following a similar path to that of the Critically Endangered White-Headed Vulture, a species recently announced to be locally extinct as a breeding population in KZN, with no nesting sites found during the 2021 surveys and preceding three years.
Chris Kelly, Species Conservation Director, Wildlife ACT said, ‘’vultures are extremely important in the role that they play in our ecosystems. Being incredible scavengers, they are remarkably efficient at disposing of rotting carcasses and reducing the spread of disease amongst wildlife, livestock and to humans. This crucial ecosystem service that vultures provide in our environment is grossly underestimated and goes largely underappreciated as, without the presence of vultures, carcasses will remain exposed to the environment for weeks. Vultures therefore play a critical role in abating the ever-increasing global risk of pathogen spill overs to humans.”
Through Project Vulture, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and Wildlife ACT carry out a multi-pronged approach to their conservation. Proactively, Project Vulture is working to better understand the species movements and range, working with landowners to protect crucial habitat and provide safe feeding sites in vulture hotspots in and between protected areas. In addition, advocacy and awareness programmes are implemented to build a better understanding of the importance of these species, with this work guided by research into the current perceptions and uses of vultures.
What can you do? Donate to the cause: https://bit.ly/3H7OJay – Report sightings of tagged individuals to www.projectvulture.org.za
Picture: BirdLife SA