White Backed Vulture
Lesoma Valley White Backed Vulture Count project
Did you know???? That One vulture may lay an egg for two consecutive years and then stop due to a whole lot of factors for the next four years. Research has shown that the Vulture is a endangered species due to Human conflict as well as breeding success therefore we need to act upon it now before it is too late.
The Chobe region has 5 species of Vulture that occurs in the area. That being the White Faced Vulture, White-backed vulture, Lappet Faced Vulture, Cape Vulture and the Hooded Vulture. There is evidence to suggest that the numbers of vultures are on the decline. It is important that work needs to be done to quantify the numbers of these birds all over Botswana.
One project that is carried out here in the Chobe region is the White backed Vulture colony count that takes place in Lesoma valley. This count is done twice a year annually by dedicated Birdlife Botswana Kasane members (including three SGS directors) and headed up by Pete Laver.
When the count is carried out the volunteers are looking not only for White Backed Vultures and their nests, but other vultures, species of tree, tree condition, how many nests to a tree. GPS coordinates are taken at the base of all the trees in Botswana and for the trees that are in Zimbabwe a GPS estimate using a distance finder is taken. (Unfortunately Vultures do not respect international borders)
The information is sent to Birdlife Botswana and it is also used year in and year out to determine the status of the bird and its habitat. This statistics allow for a better understanding of the issues that they face and help with the conservation of these beautiful birds.
The main reasons for Vulture numbers to be on the decline are due their Habitat being degraded and lost, power line electrocutions, poisoning of carcasses by poachers (poachers tend to poison carrion to ensure vultures don’t follow them and therefore they are not caught) or farmers(poison laid for predators that take their livestock but instead vultures consume carrion), direct persecution and disturbance at breeding sites.
Vultures keep our environment free of carcasses and waste and therefore restrict the spread of disease. They play an important role in the fragile ecosystems, they need to be protected and monitored to ensure the success of this species.