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34-452: Gyps kolbii The Cape vulture ( Gyps coprotheres ), also known as Cape griffon and Kolbe's vulture , is an Old World vulture in the family Accipitridae . It is endemic to southern Africa , and lives mainly in South Africa , Lesotho , Botswana , and in some parts of northern Namibia . It nests on cliffs and lays one egg per year. In 2015, it had been classified as Endangered on

68-489: A combination of top-down, e.g. legislation, and bottom-up such as corrals or compensation is expected to help reduce the problem. Old World vulture Old World vultures are vultures that are found in the Old World , i.e. the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa, and which belong to the family Accipitridae , which also includes eagles , buzzards , kites , and hawks . Old World vultures are not closely related to

102-449: A more detrimental effect on vulture populations than larger, infrequent events because population recovery is more successful when there is a longer time between poisonings. To increase populations, vultures can be reintroduced to poison-free protected areas near other groups of vultures to keep the populations high. This will make it easier for vultures to maintain some individuals after a poisoning event. A project named "Vulture Restaurant"

136-626: A number of threats. A decrease in the amount of large carrion particularly during nesting, targeted or inadvertent poisoning, loss of foraging habitat, and unsustainable harvesting for traditional uses are thought to be the most important factors. A source of poisoning specific to many vultures, including the Cape vulture, is the drug Diclofenac and related compounds, which is used to treat arthritis in cattle, and which lead to kidney failure in vultures who consume carcasses of treated cattle. Electrocution resulting from collision with cables on electricity pylons

170-464: A year. Vulture heads are believed to provide clairvoyance or good luck like winning the lottery. The length of time a vulture can be used by healers is dependent on size and species. Some healers have been recorded using Cape vultures for 6 years because they are said to last longer than other species. Others use 1-2 individuals a year but this rate is unsustainable given the estimated number of healers. In Southern Africa , traditional medicine

204-576: Is vagrant in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia . It also occurs in Angola , Namibia , Zimbabwe and Eswatini but does not breed there. They are obligate scavengers, they feed on carrion , eating soft muscles and organ tissues and some bone fragments. They search for food in groups, they can spot the carcasses from a long distance meaning that they have good eyesight. They are able to locate

238-435: Is Vulnerable when it is not critically endangered or Endangered but is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild in the medium-term future, as defined by any of the following criteria (A to E): A) Population reduction in the form of either of the following: B) Extent of occurrence estimated to be less than 20,000 km or area of occupancy estimated to be less than 2,000 km , and estimates indicating any two of

272-494: Is a major health threat. India has one of the world's highest incidences of rabies. For communities such as the Parsi , who practice sky burials in which human corpses are put on the top of a Tower of Silence , vulture population declines can have serious cultural implications. Conservation efforts would be most effective in large, protected areas because vultures are most populous in those. Small but frequent poisoning events have

306-483: Is a semi-bald head , sometimes without feathers or with just simple down. Historically, it was thought that this was due to feeding habits, as feathers would be glued with decaying flesh and blood. However, more recent studies have shown that it is actually a thermoregulatory adaptation to avoid facial overheating; the presence or absence of complex feathers seems to matter little in feeding habits, as some vultures are quite raptorial. † = extinct More than half of

340-570: Is also believed that they tend to remain or return to the area of birth for breeding. In Colleywobbles Vulture Colony in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, the fledglings had a mean post-fledging dependency period of 101 days, and the distance from the nest increased after this period, as the fledglings gained independence from their parents. Though they continue to breed, some populations have been recorded to have declined. Roberts’ Farm in Magaliesberg,

374-458: Is black. Juveniles and immatures are generally darker and more streaked, with brown to orange eyes and red necks. It closely resembles the white-backed vulture, however it is larger and has yellow irises. The average length of adult vultures is about 96–115 cm (38–45 in) with a wingspan of 2.26–2.6 m (7 ft 5 in – 8 ft 6 in) and a body weight of 7–11 kg (15–24 lb). The two prominent bare skin patches at

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408-446: Is called Muthi . For some healers it is believed to cure illnesses, while others believe it cures curses. Vulture muthi involves separate body parts being dried, burned, or ground up. The results may be consumed by mixing with food, drinking, snorting, or applying to cuts. Some healers look for signs of poisoning when purchasing vultures, but others are unaware of how to do this and are at risk of poisoning their clients. Another part of

442-776: Is one of the most prevalent threats to vulture populations. Vulnerable species Vulnerability is mainly caused by habitat loss or destruction of the species' home. Vulnerable habitat or species are monitored and can become increasingly threatened. Some species listed as "vulnerable" may be common in captivity , an example being the military macaw . In 2012 there were 5,196 animals and 6,789 plants classified as vulnerable, compared with 2,815 and 3,222, respectively, in 1998. Practices such as cryoconservation of animal genetic resources have been enforced in efforts to conserve vulnerable breeds of livestock specifically. The International Union for Conservation of Nature uses several criteria to enter species in this category. A taxon

476-480: Is still a need to deal with human-wildlife conflicts, farmers still need to be made aware of the effects of poisoning. In Namibia, 1.7% of communal farmers admitted to using poison in the year 2015. In Kenya, over 20% of farmers used poisons to eliminate predators and they were not aware of the Kenya Wildlife Act. It was then suggested that awareness campaigns should be implemented to reduce poisoning. In addition,

510-447: Is the most common cause of death in ringed birds. On the 20th of June 2019, the carcasses of 468 white-backed vultures , 17 white-headed vultures , 28 hooded vultures , 14 lappet-faced vultures and 10 cape vultures, altogether 537 vultures, besides 2 tawny eagles , were found in northern Botswana. It is suspected that they died after eating the carcasses of 3 elephants that were poisoned by poachers , possibly to avoid detection by

544-728: Is underway in Nepal in an effort to conserve the dwindling number of vultures. The "restaurant" is an open grassy area where naturally dying, sick, and old cows are fed to the vultures. Organizations across Africa are working to reduce threats to vulture species with efforts to change and create policies to protect species both at the national and international scale. Proposed strategies to reduce poisoning events include mobile phone numbers to report offenders, campaigns to educate about poisoning risks to humans, and improving response speed to poisoning events. Poison response training would be an important implementation in conservation efforts because this

578-831: The African vulture trade is use for bushmeat consumption. Collisions with electrical infrastructure account for roughly 9% of vulture deaths in Africa. Some organizations in South Africa are working with power companies to mitigate this threat. As vultures play an important role in ecosystems, their population decline can have cultural, public health, and economic implications for communities. The decline in vultures has led to hygiene problems in India as carcasses of dead animals now tend to rot, or be eaten by rats or feral dogs , rather than be consumed by vultures. Rabies among these other scavengers

612-460: The IUCN Red List , but was down-listed to Vulnerable in 2021 as some populations increased and have been stable since about 2016. This large vulture is of a creamy-buff colour, with contrasting dark flight and tail feathers. The adult is paler than the juvenile, and its underwing coverts can appear almost white at a distance. The head and neck are near-naked. The eyes are yellowish, and the bill

646-514: The Old World vulture species are listed as vulnerable , endangered , or critically endangered by the IUCN Red List . Population declines are caused by a variety of threats that vary by species and region, with most notable declines in Asia due to diclofenac use. Within Africa, a combination of poisonings and vulture trade (including use as bushmeat and traditional medicine) account for roughly 90% of

680-449: The base of the neck, also found in the white-backed vulture , are thought to be temperature sensors and used for detecting the presence of thermals . The species is among the largest raptors in Africa , next to the lappet-faced vulture . With a mean body mass of roughly 8.9 to 9.22 kg (19.6 to 20.3 lb), it appears to be significantly heavier than wild lappet-faced vultures, despite

714-498: The birds, which help rangers to track poaching activity by circling above where there are dead animals. Climate change has contributed as a threat for the endemic species, populations have decreased due to the high temperatures and global warming. There is still need to alter laws to achieve great conservation, as most laws in South Africa are implemented at a provincial scale. All vulture species can be elevated to 'Specially Protected' status to help increase their populations. There

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748-661: The carcass quicker than other ground-dwelling scavengers. It usually breeds and roosts on cliff faces in or near mountains, and has been recorded up to an elevation of 3,100 m (10,200 ft). In South Africa's Eastern Cape , Cape vultures were more likely to use nest sites on ledges with a smaller depth and at a higher elevation, surrounded by conspecifics. Tracked individuals in Namibia had home ranges of 11,800–22,500 km (4,600–8,700 sq mi). They also roost on trees and pylons. Additionally, juveniles and adults both prefer to roost on cliffs located closer to colonies. It

782-512: The drug in India can result in jail time. But while the Government of India banned diclofenac, over a year later, in 2007, it continued to be sold and remains a problem in other parts of the world. Poisoning accounts for a majority of vulture deaths in Africa. Ivory poachers poison carcasses with the intent of killing vultures, since vultures circling over a carcass alert authorities to a kill. An increase in demand for ivory has both increased

816-547: The family. Most authorities refer to two major clades: Gypaetinae ( Gypaetus , Gypohierax and Neophron ) and Aegypiinae ( Aegypius , Gyps , Sarcogyps , Torgos , Trigonoceps and possibly Necrosyrtes ). The former seem to be nested with Perninae hawks, while the latter are closely related and possibly even synonymous with Aquilinae . Within Aegypiinae, Torgos , Aegypius , Sarcogyps and Trigonoceps are particularly closely related and possibly within

850-793: The land for longer, but, if the ill animals die, their carcasses contain diclofenac. Farmers leave the dead animals out in the open, relying on vultures to tidy up. Diclofenac present in carcass flesh is eaten by vultures, which are sensitive to diclofenac, and they suffer kidney failure, visceral gout , and death as a result of diclofenac poisoning . The drug is poisonous enough that only a small amount of animal carcases need to contain it to have detrimental effects on vulture populations. Meloxicam (another NSAID) has been found to be harmless to vultures and should prove an acceptable alternative to diclofenac. Bans on diclofenac in veterinary practices have been implemented in Pakistan and Nepal and selling or using

884-517: The latter's extremely large appearance, and rivals only a few other species, namely the great white pelican and kori bustard , as the largest flying bird native to Africa. After the Himalayan griffon vulture and the cinereous vulture , the Cape vulture is the third largest Old World vulture on average. The Cape vulture is resident and breeding in Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique and South Africa , but

918-420: The population declines. And because vultures are scavengers , their population decline can have cultural, public health, and economic implications for communities and be even more problematic than the decline of other endangered species. Vulture populations are particularly vulnerable because they typically feed in large groups and easily fall victim to mass poisoning events. Diclofenac poisoning has caused

952-412: The rate of elephant poachings as well as increased the rate at which vultures are killed off by consuming the poisoned elephant remains. In Kruger National Park , white-backed vultures will be eradicated in the next 60 years if poisoned carcasses are not detected and neutralized. Eliminating carcass poisoning is challenging because it is far easier to carry out than to regulate. Park officials often lack

986-531: The same genus. Despite the name of the group, "Old World" vultures were widespread in North America until relatively recently, until the end of the Late Pleistocene epoch around 11,000 years ago. Both Old World and New World vultures are scavenging birds , feeding mostly from carcasses of dead animals . Old World vultures find carcasses exclusively by sight. A particular characteristic of many vultures

1020-558: The superficially similar New World vultures and condors , and do not share that group's good sense of smell. The similarities between the two groups of vultures are due to convergent evolution , rather than a close relationship. They were widespread in both the Old World and North America during the Neogene . Old World vultures are probably a polyphyletic group within Accipitridae, belonging to two separate not closely related groups within

1054-448: The training to identify toxic chemicals before it is too late and calling on average community members to turn in perpetrators reports is challenging if financial incentives to do so are insufficient. Vultures are also unintentionally poisoned when they consume carcasses of predators that have been poisoned by livestock farmers. For those who rely on livestock to make a living, illegal pesticides are often used on fruits, meats, or even

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1088-521: The vulture population in India and Pakistan to decline by up to 99% , and two or three species of vulture in South Asia are nearing extinction. This has been caused by the practice of medicating working farm animals with diclofenac, which is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) with anti-inflammatory and pain-killing actions. Diclofenac administration keeps animals that are ill or in pain working on

1122-604: The water in a wateringhole in order to eliminate large predators that threaten their livestock. Agricultural poisoning is relatively easy as it does not require specific skills and the poison is cheap with a long shelf life. Vultures in Africa are killed for use in traditional medicine as part of the African vulture trade . Vultures can be targeted for the industry directly or collected from other poisoning events, but close to 30% of vulture deaths recorded in Africa can be tied back to belief-based use. In South Africa , vulture consumption events have been estimated to occur 59,000 times

1156-416: Was abandoned as a breeding site in 2013. The Cape vulture has been declining steadily since at least the 1980s, when it was first categorised as Threatened . Between 1992 and 2007 the species declined by 60-70% in South Africa alone. By 2021, the total population size was estimated about 9,600 to 12,800 mature individuals, and it was assessed as Vulnerable . The Cape vulture is considered to be impacted by

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