The African Vulture/Wildlife

Poisoning Database

André Botha
Co-Chair
IUCN SSC Vulture Specialist Group

8th of November 2016

IUCN Red list status of the Africa’s vultures
1979 1985 1994 2000 2011 2012 2015
Cape Griffon VU Rare¹ Rare VU VU VU EN

Ruppell’s Griffon NT EN CR
Eurasian Griffon
African W-b NT EN CR
Vulture
Hooded Vulture EN EN CR
Lappet-faced VU VU VU EN
Vulture
White-headed VU VU CR
Vulture
Cinereous Vulture VU NT NT NT
Bearded Vulture LC VU
(Africa?)
Egyptian Vulture EN EN CR
Palm-nut Vulture LC

1. Rare- ”small world population...not at present EN or VU, but are at risk”

What are the threats?
 Poisoning, poaching, collisions,
Habitat loss and disturbance

Poaching, poisoning,
habitat loss and food
shortage Poisoning,
Habitat loss
and food
shortage

Main Threats Affecting All Species by Region –

Questionnaires

Poisoning, poaching,
collisions, disturbance
and habitat loss
African Poisoning Recorded animal mortalities
Database
• Established 2012
• D. Ogada, R. Buij & A. Botha Vultures
• Contains data from 1961 - present 526
• All available records from known 126 534
incidents
Other
• Historically published incidents
• Shared data from various sources
scavenging
birds
• Vulture losses recorded – 7132 Other birds

• Other scavenging birds – 126

• Mammalian predators – 526
7132 Scavenging
mammals
 Data submission per Country
Data from 15 Countries No of mortalities per
(No of records) Country
1
30 16
2
South 5 South
1
11 536
Africa 2 34 Africa
4 12
1 592
16 10 1 Botswana Namibia
23 222 1479
22 Zimbabwe Zimbabwe
1125 1181
25 98
Namibia Kenya
21 582 1181 1125
Kenya Zambia

Huge gaps – especially West Africa

 Vulture poisoning – A re-emerging Threat?
African Database (185 entries)
Poisoning
1995-2015
2500

2000

1500

1995-2015
1000

500

0
2004
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003

2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
 Mortalities per Species
Mortalities
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
Mortalities
1000
500
0
 Substances used
Substances • Sampling often inadequate
UNID • Samples poorly preserved
Organophosphate
Monocrotophos
• Advanced decomposition
5 • Transportation and permits
13 Carbofuran
• Equipment and skill lacking
36 Aldicarb • Laboratory facilities
119
Strychnine
• Customs regulations
16 - harmful chemicals
Cyanide
11 4
- biological material
12
Other • Appropriate analytical tools
Unknown
• Cost factor
Poison is readily available
 Poaching-related Incidents & Losses
(Southern Africa)
Recent incidents in southern Africa:
Vultures poisoned
• Mozambique – 76 birds (June 2011) 1400
• Zimbabwe – 174 birds (August 2012)
• Mkhuze, South Africa – 41 birds (Nov 2012)
• Mozambique – 84 birds (May 2013) 1200
• Namibia – 400-500 birds June 2013
• Zambia – 302 birds (Oct 2013)
• Zimbabwe – 219 birds (Oct 2013)
• Imfolozi, South Africa – 37 birds (Nov 2013)
1000
• Hoedspruit, Limpopo – 65 birds (May 2015)
• Botswana – 40 birds (June 2015)
• Mozambique – 42 birds (July 2015)
800
• Kruger National Park, South Africa – 44 birds
(September 2015)
• Letaba Ranch, South Africa – 22 birds (November 600
2015)
• Kruger National Park, South Africa – 110 birds
(February 2016) 400
• Zambia – 106 birds (May 2016)
• Kruger National Park – 22 birds (May 2016)
• Botswana (August 2016) – 150 birds 200
• Mozambique (October 2016) – 51 birds

0
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Muthi Trade
Secondary poisoning
Meat or Skin Poaching
Damage to crops
Lead Poisoning
 What is being done?
• Review and improvement in legislation
• Banning of certain substances:
– Monocrotophos – 2005
– Aldicarb – 2014
• Support and guidance to Law Enforcement
• Proper investigation and prosecution procedures
• Training of Conservation and Agricultural staff
• Interaction with Traditional Healers Organisations
• Awareness of Public Health Risks
• Veterinary medicine control regulations
• Stockpiles programme
 Supplementary Vulture Feeding Sites
• Aka “Vulture Restaurants”
• Initiated in 1970’s
• Safe, reliable source of food
• 187 sites across South Africa
• Not subject to permits or
legislation
• Requires careful management
• Perceptions
Poisoning Incident
Intervention Training
• Identifying and reaction to a
poisoning incident
• Scene management and
investigation
• Collection of samples and other
evidence
• Wildlife rescue and emergency
first-aid
• Decontamination of scene
• Legal process – prosecution and
follow-up
• Human health concerns – muthi &
food
• Training - SANParks, LEDET, MPTA,
EKZNW, GDARD, FSDEA, SAPS,
others
• Zambia, Mozambique, Namibia,
Kenya, Lesotho
• 851 learners to date
 Planning for Poisoning Events
• Poisoning response plan – SOP
• Reaction team – internal skills base
• Air support?
• Contact list – key stakeholders
• Equipment – Poisoning response kits
• Rescue and Treatment of Live Specimens
• Laboratory for sample analysis
• Transport, safe-keeping and hand-over of samples
• Occupational health & safety
• Basic first aid
Awareness materials
Vulture Information Leaflets

• www.ewt.org.za
• Updated format
• Translations – Sesotho, isiZulu, etc.
Competition for exposure and resources
with…….
 Access and Web-enablement

• Update with reliable

information
• Standard reporting
format
• Internet interface
• Link to ARDB
• Submission – open access
• Sensitive information
• Access to data summaries
• Will still have to solicit
information regardless
Data capture
• Done through an app that opens in your browser
• Will work offline, and data will be uploaded later when online
Data capture screen
• Still requires some
work e.g. drop-down
lists and numbers of
affected individuals
Data extraction
• Done through a map interface
• Shows all recorded poisoning incidents
• Allows one to filter for countries or species
• Will allow download of basic set of data (species, date, locality)
The time to act is

NOW!
 Contact details

• André Botha
• Birds of Prey Programme
• Endangered Wildlife Trust
• Mobile: +27 82 962 5725
• E-mail: andreb@ewt.org.za
• URL: www.ewt.org.za