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Rapid response to vulture poisoning
With vulture enchantment assist, BirdLife International, working with the Organization for the Defence and Development of Wetlands (ODZH), coordinated pressing response measures throughout Guinea-Bissau, following the mass poisonings final 12 months. We have been in a position to present emergency funding for native actions, together with investigating, participating related authorities, and elevating consciousness in opposition to additional killings.
In the Gambia, surveys have been carried out with the West African Bird Study Association, to know the basis explanation for the killing, and we labored with vulture and poisoning skilled André Botha, from the Endangered Wildlife Trust, to organise digital coaching for individuals from the Gambia, Ghana and Ethiopia.
In southern Africa there was elevated momentum round creating response protocols to poisoning and introducing fast response mechanisms throughout key protected areas in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana. We hope to see these carried out in 2021 – 2022, resulting in a decline in vulture and different wildlife mortality.
In Kenya, we continued our neighborhood engagement to seek out methods for people and wildlife to coexist, and so to cut back human-wildlife battle: this has typically been a driver of poisoning that has unintentionally killed many vultures.
Trade in vulture physique components
Use of vultures and their physique components for belief-based functions is without doubt one of the largest threats to African vultures. Trade in vulture components was recognized as the primary driver within the mass poisoning of Hooded Vultures in Guinea-Bissau, which was discovered to have been pushed by a regional market alternative.
In Nigeria, the work to cut back demand for vulture components is ongoing. The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF, BirdLife in Nigeria), have elevated efforts to construct the capability and information of legislation enforcement and customs officers by workshops and guides, serving to them to research and prosecute vulture killings incidents. You can watch a 30-minute documentary on NCF’s work with vultures right here.
In each Nigeria and Zimbabwe (by BirdLife Zimbabwe) discussions with conventional healer associations have been remarkably productive. Healers have proven their concern for the declines in vultures, and people attending the conferences have pledged to search for and begin utilizing plant-based alternate options to vulture components of their therapeutic.
Vulture Safe Zones
Vultures Safe Zones are a conservation device designed to create a protected feeding, breeding, and roosting area for vultures by voluntary measures. So far, over 510,000 hectares of Vultures Safe Zones have been established in Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. With your assist, efforts are ongoing to develop on this.
In Zimbabwe, we’re creating a brand new Vultures Safe Zone in Gwayi Conservancy, the place 88 vulture nests have been recorded lately in collaborative surveys by BirdLife Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, National University of Science and Technology, Gwanda State University and Gwayi Farmers Association (GFA). The three taking part GFA rangers will incorporate vulture monitoring into their patrols and ship information to BirdLife Zimbabwe.
In Zambia, efforts to cut back the impression of poisoning by increasing Vulture Safe Zones in Kafue National Park began in earnest in early 2021, with preliminary stakeholder conferences and provision of protected (poison-free) meals for vultures.
Awareness of the plight of vultures
Knowledge is energy! To construct neighborhood understanding on vultures and common biodiversity, BirdLife engages in fixed communication efforts by varied streams along with all of the work that our companions are doing on the bottom. We have additionally had three celebrities in Africa unveiled as vulture ambassadors who routinely have interaction with their followings to boost consciousness of the plight of vultures.
These efforts have attracted worldwide media and have been shared throughout the BirdLife Partnership. In addition, a podcast sequence entitled Vulture Guardians: Helping Vultures Soar Again has been produced, which you may take heed to now.
The hazards of power infrastructure
Recent monitoring has indicated that the severity of this risk could also be grossly underestimated, with excessive danger of collision and electrocution when wind generators, harmful pylons or transmission traces are sited close to a roosting, breeding, or feeding website for vultures.
In Ethiopia, surveys confirmed bigger than anticipated numbers of vultures, and different hen species, have been being killed in such areas. As a outcome, an settlement designed to carry collectively the power and conservation sectors was signed in late 2020 between the Ethiopian Wildlife and Natural History Society (BirdLife in Ethiopia), Ethiopia Electricity Utility, Ethiopian Electric Power and Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority. This will promote and institute bird-friendly electrical energy infrastructure in Ethiopia.
In early 2021, a marketing campaign for Bird-safe Energy Infrastructure was delivered in Ethiopia by the Great Ethiopian Run.
Success in Morocco
BirdLife’s actions for vultures have included North Africa, the place the raptor rehabilitation centre run by GREPOM (BirdLife in Morocco), performed host to 34 Griffon Vultures who have been then launched again to nature. The first breeding behaviour of Griffon Vultures in Morocco in over 40 years was then recorded – a triumph for Morocco with GREPOM enjoying its half alongside the Government’s Department of Water and Forests.
If you want to assist our work saving Africa’s vultures, you may donate to BirdLife International right here.
Source www.birdlife.org
