Members of the Bushveld, Limpopo, Pretoria, Johannesburg, East Rand, West Coast and Midrand regions participated in an emotional but meaningful vulture rescue, in partnership with a team from SANParks and the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT). Rescuing poisoned vultures On 16 June 2023, a vulture poisoning incident was discovered near Punda Maria in the northern Kruger National Park. The birds had been feeding on the carcass of a zebra laced with poison. The zebra had been killed in a snare. On 17 June 2023, just before 08:00 in the morning, a team of SHR performing a snare removal duty was asked to assist with the rescue. The rescue team searched the area for surviving vultures. The crucially ill birds received immediate treatment before being carried back to the EWT’s mobile vulture ambulance, more than 2 km away. From there, the birds were rushed to Moholoholo Animal Rehabilitation Centre for further treatment and rehabilitation. Forty-five vultures and one juvenile bateleur were killed in the mass poisoning – but nine vultures survived thanks to the efforts of the rescue team. The surviving vultures included white-backed vultures, a lappet-faced vulture, and a hooded vulture. They were eventually released from the Moholoholo Rehabilitation Centre. All vultures in South Africa are considered endangered to some degree. The white-backed and hooded vultures are considered critically endangered, while the lappet-faced vulture is classified as endangered. 134 SANParks Honorary Rangers 2024 VULTURE RESCUE Members’ activities continued
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