International Vulture Awareness Day, 4 September 2021
Vultures regularly receive bad press – think Lion King and the so-called “buzzards” that Timon and Pumba chase away from the unconscious Simba. But vultures are nature’s essential workers. As scavengers, they are part of a clean-up crew that mops up carcasses and other organic waste and prevents the spread of diseases such as anthrax and botulism. Over the past few decades, there has been a worrying decline in Africa’s vulture populations. Threats include loss of habitat, accidental and deliberate poisoning, electrocutions and collisions due to power grid infrastructure and a decrease in food availability. The Cape vulture (Gyps coprotheres) is the only resident vulture species in the Western Cape and is red-listed by the IUCN as Endangered. While the global population is decreasing, but the breeding colony at Potberg on De Hoop Nature Reserve is actually increasing. This is largely due to the positive attitudes of farmers in the area towards the species and the establishment of a vulture restaurant on private land near the nature reserve. A collaboration between EWT and Eskom has also led to the installation of bird diverters on high-risk sections of power lines near the colony, making the overhead lines more visible so that collisions are avoided.
More articles related to International Vulture Day:
Celebrating World Wildlife Day at the Potberg Cape Vulture colony
Monitoring the Cape Vulture Colony
Cape vulture
Perching on power line infrastructure can put vultures at risk of electrocution.
By not burying livestock carcasses, farmers make these available to the clean-up crew.
Bird diverters on a power line at the Excelsior Wind Farm near Swellendam.
Related News
Guardians of the Sky: Cape Vultures in South Africa's Potberg Mountains
The Cape vultures of the Potberg Mountains are not just ecological linchpins but also cultural symbols in parts of southern Africa. CapeNature has been dedicated to the conservation and monitoring of these majestic birds for many years within CapeNature's De Hoop Nature Reserve, where the Potberg Mountains provide vital breeding habitat for the only population of Cape vultures in the Western Cape.
Cape Zebra Reunites With Family
On July 22, 2023, the CapeNature team from Kammanassie Nature Reserve carried out a critical rescue mission involving a Cape Mountain Zebra (CMZ) on the Diepprivier farm property in the Noll area, situated approximately 30 kilometers from Kammanassie.
CapeNature and a Community Rally to Save More Than a Thousand Seahorses
CapeNature’s marine rangers led a herculean effort with the support of the community and up to now more than a thousand seahorses were rescued and 720 have been returned to their natural habitat. They are being put back into the estuaries where they usually occur and where there is a huge eelgrass bed where they seek refuge and shelter and where they find their food.
Monitoring of Critically Endangered Geometric Tortoise
The geometric tortoise (Psammobates geometricus), classified as Critically Endangered, ranks among the top 25 most imperilled tortoises and turtles globally. Its future remains uncertain, with an estimated wild population of fewer than 3000. This species is highly specialised in its habitat requirements, historically found in the low-lying renosterveld shrublands of the Swartland, Upper Breede River Valley, and Ceres Valley.
Penguins Return to De Hoop for Another Breeding Season
Last year, African Penguins successfully bred at De Hoop Nature Reserve, and this year, a pair is once again nurturing two chicks at the new colony. These chicks were spotted at the end of June, perched just outside the nest that was occupied the previous year. African Penguins display remarkable fidelity to their colonies and often return to the same nest annually to reunite with their mates.
Safeguarding Ecological Infrastructure Against Invasive Alien Plant Species
Invasive alien plant species are one of the main causes of biodiversity loss and threaten many indigenous species. To address this issue, government laws, specifically the Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act 43 of 1983 (Act NO. 43 of 1983) and the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 2004 (Act NO. 10 of 2004), legally obligate landowners to monitor, control, and eradicate alien invasive plants.