red alert Focus on South ’s threatened

Cape

he Cape Vulture (or Cape Griffon) contributing factors have been identified, White-backed Vulture G. africanus, which coprotheres may be the most and the net result of mitigation efforts is better able to soar on pockets of rising T comprehensively studied in must surely have helped stem the receding air, or thermals, over flat ground. – it is certainly one of the most tide. But we have yet to devise an effect­ While many colonies were once present threatened. Because the species is all but ive conservation strategy for this vulture on cliffs in lower-lying river gorges and on restricted to South Africa (with only a couple and time is running out to do so with any isolated inselbergs in the Karoo, most of of small, peripheral cross-border breeding meaningful outcome. these birds have now disappeared and

colonies), a concerted research effort was the latter-day Cape Vulture is essentially a chris van rooyen launched by conservationists in the early he Cape Vulture is a cliff-dwelling montane species. The current population 1980s to determine the real extent and T bird and typically occurs in breeding is contained in a handful of large colonies domestic stock. This must have drastically What can be done? causes of what was then perceived to be its colonies that range in size from tens to on towering cliffs of the Mpumalanga and reduced the availability of food for all the precipitous decline. Since then, numerous thousands of birds on large, vertical rock Limpopo escarpment, and a scattering of region’s scavenging birds, and probably still he Cape Vulture remains a high surveys and extensive awareness campaigns faces. A smaller segment of the popula- smaller sites in the Highlands and does. The spread of human development Tpriority for conservation authorities have been embarked upon, and it has been tion is found on less crowded satellite the mountains and gorges of the Eastern has also brought these birds into increasing in . The Vulture Study clearly established and documented that roosts, where non-breeders and travelling Cape. A couple of outlying colonies occur contact with a host of more direct threats, Group was the founding component there has been a marked reduction in both birds reside or overnight but don’t actually as far north as southern and as such as poisoning by chemicals to control of the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) the number and the distribution of the breed. From these central places, colony far south as the south-western Cape. farm pests or treat ailing livestock, persecu- and is now contained within the species over the past 100 years. members forage over hundreds of kilo­ Former colonies in Nambia and tion by traditional medicine hunters, and EWT’s Birds of Prey Working Group, In the interim, the Cape Vulture has metres in search of large carcasses have now been reduced to only small num- electrocution on power installations. All which oversees the activities of the Cape continued its slide towards extinction. This on which to scavenge. Because this vulture bers of non-breeding birds. of these threats are exacerbated by the Griffon Task Force. This latest initiative to save is not to say that all the hard conservation is a large, heavy bird, to stay aloft during The greatest negative impact on the gregarious nature of Gyps , which the Cape Vulture, which is sponsored by Sasol and man- work done over three decades to save these long-distance forays it probably relies ancestral Cape Vulture population has often results in multiple casualties from aged by Kerri Wolter, aims to develop customised, locally the species has been in vain: the current substantially on the updraughts created probably been the replacement of free- single exposures. relevant management plans for each of the main breeding situation would undoubtedly have been far by wind passing over areas of high relief. ranging herds of wild ungulates by the ANDREW JENKINS colonies, identifying and addressing threats at colony level worse had this work not been done. Many This is in contrast to the relatively lighter structured commercial ranching of rather than trying to impose a generic cure-all as has been Above Cape Vultures in typical montane done in the past. In principle, if we can decrease mortal- habitat. ity and improve breeding success at each of these critical sites, we can stabilise the whole population. Opposite, below Cape Vultures have a If you would like to know more about the Cape Vulture love/hate relationship with electricity infra­ or are able to contribute in some way to the valuable work of the Cape Griffon structure. Pylons and poles make conveni­ Task Force (for example, by reporting mortality incidents, sightings of marked birds ent roosting sites, but the risk of collision or the location of roosting or breeding cliffs, or if you wish to open a vulture feed- or electrocution is significant. Here, bird ing site or can provide practical assistance in the field), please contact Kerri on guards have been fitted to a high-voltage [email protected] or André Botha, manager of the Birds of Prey Working C structure to prevent vultures from fouling Group, on [email protected] DPS STRIP MAG. AD..pdf 2/19/10 10:16:06 AM

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