KENYA’S VULTURE POPULATION CRISIS
Vultures are under threat worldwide, finding themselves on the wildlife trade market for their beaks and talons. In Africa, where species have declined by as much as 60% in just three decades, with a 70% decline recorded in the iconic Masai Mara. It is a trend that will soon be irreversible.
So join us in our action now. Vultures are crucial to our ecosystem. Every day, these ancient creatures don’t just strip carcasses of meat; they eliminate diseases such as: anthrax, cholera and even rabies by removing them from the food chain. Vultures are the vital clean up mechanisms that the natural world must harness. But poison, especially Furadan in Africa, is used by landowners and indiscriminate killing by poachers has had a catastrophic effect.
The poison exaggerates the activity of the parasympathetic system and causes the body to swell. These threats will not just see vultures disappear, but have a knock-on effect on other carnivores who consume meat from a poisoned carcass. These can be multiple in number.
To reverse the path to extinction, we are putting our support behind programs on the ground in Kenya that use captive breeding and the harvesting, incubation and rearing of eggs that would otherwise be removed by the dominant chick. We know these methods work. We are looking to support by building the enclosures, and get these programs of the ground.
Join us to help save these iconic creatures.
by Patrick Baglee