Unique and Valiant: The Unparalleled Efforts of Vulpro to Revive Vulture Populations

Hey there! Have you ever wondered about the crucial role vultures play in our ecosystems? It’s fascinating stuff, let me tell you! Today, I want to introduce you to Vulpro, an incredible organization that is making a difference, one vulture at a time.

As you probably know, vultures are often misunderstood and underestimated creatures. But they are actually vital to maintaining a healthy environment. They act as nature’s clean-up crew, feasting on carrion and preventing the spread of disease. Without vultures, our world would be a mess!

Vulpro understands the importance of vultures and is dedicated to their conservation. They work tirelessly to protect and rehabilitate these magnificent birds. Their efforts are truly awe-inspiring.

So, how exactly does Vulpro help vultures? Well, let me break it down for you:

• Rescue and Rehabilitation: Vulpro rescues injured and orphaned vultures, providing them with medical care and a safe haven to recover. They nurse these birds back to health, giving them a second chance at life.
• Education and Awareness: Vulpro is passionate about spreading knowledge and understanding about vultures. They conduct educational programs and awareness campaigns to dispel myths and misconceptions surrounding these incredible creatures.
• Conservation Breeding: Vulpro also plays a crucial role in vulture conservation breeding programs. They carefully select suitable pairs of vultures and facilitate breeding in controlled environments, contributing to the growth of vulture populations.
• Release and Monitoring: Once the vultures are ready, Vulpro releases them back into the wild. But their work doesn’t stop there! They continue to monitor the rehabilitated vultures, ensuring their successful integration into their natural habitats.

Vulpro’s tireless dedication and compassionate approach have led to incredible results. Thanks to their efforts, vulture populations are slowly but surely soaring again.

Isn’t it amazing to see how one organization can make such a tremendous impact? It’s truly inspiring. So, if you’re passionate about wildlife conservation and want to be a part of something extraordinary, I urge you to support Vulpro. Together, we can ensure a brighter future for vultures and our planet.

Back in the day, vultures used to rule the African skies. They were everywhere. But now, things have changed. Their numbers have dropped like crazy, with some populations dwindling by a massive 95% in just a few decades. It breaks my heart to think about it, but it’s the sad reality: vultures in southern Africa are under attack.

But wait, there’s a flicker of hope on the horizon! On the outskirts of Hartbeespoort Dam in the North West province, there’s a place called VulPro. It’s a sanctuary, a safe haven for vultures. Here, they’re rescued, nurtured, and given a second chance at life. You see, VulPro is not just any ordinary place. It’s a vulture rehabilitation and breeding center, working tirelessly to save these magnificent birds from disappearing forever.

Imagine this: you’re walking in the wilderness and you come across a bird unlike any other. Its wings, fully grown, span an incredible 2.65 meters. You notice something peculiar: the bird is resting on the ground, its wings spread out wide. You’re witnessing a Cape vulture chick, and this sight is not something you see every day.

Curiosity piqued, I decided to chat with the extraordinary individual behind the organization devoted to these majestic creatures. Meet Kerri Wolter, the founder and chief executive of Vulpro. She’s not just your average bird lover – she’s known as “the vulture whisperer,” and for good reason.

“I still remember one of my very first encounters with a vulture,” Kerri shares with a twinkle in her eye. “I looked down and there it was: a bundle of feathers, resembling an extraterrestrial creature straight out of a dinosaur-filled era. My heart simply melted.”

It’s not surprising that Kerri, with her background at the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), decided to launch Vulpro. Her connection with these remarkable creatures runs deep, and she felt compelled to take action.

‘I finally got it. I saw how incredible and fragile these birds are. Right then and there, I knew my purpose. I had to help people see the beauty of these creatures and understand just how important they are in our world filled with greed and destruction.’

The dangers vultures face

Vultures have so many threats to deal with, and it’s causing their numbers to drop rapidly.

‘There are many reasons why these birds are in serious trouble. They have to deal with a bunch of threats that mostly come from humans. These threats can vary depending on the species and where they live,’ Kerri explains.

One of the biggest dangers vultures face in South Africa is hitting powerlines. It’s not just the physical impact that’s a problem. They also get electrocuted from these powerlines. And it’s not just powerlines – they can hit wind turbines and even electric fences, too.

Vultures and other raptors in South Africa have long suffered from the negative impacts of powerlines, according to Kerri, an expert on avian conservation. These birds, known for their long-distance flights, frequently utilize powerline support structures as temporary roosts and lookout points. However, the older powerline structures are far from being ideal for birds, especially large ones, and pose significant dangers to them.

Once, there was a vulture that had a shocking encounter with a power line. It’s a sad truth that these electric shocks typically cause the vultures’ demise. Even if they do survive, they’re left with lifelong injuries that prevent them from returning to the wild, like broken wings and legs. Kerri explains that these injuries are usually too severe for rehabilitation.

Thankfully, there are efforts in place to protect these magnificent birds from the dangers of powerlines. Some places have started using “bird-flight diverters” to make the wires more visible and reduce the likelihood of collisions. So far, these initiatives have shown some success in minimizing the risks to vultures.

So, here’s the deal: the deliberate poisoning of vultures is a massive problem right now. It’s this twisted strategy that poachers use to get rid of vultures, so they can carry out their illegal activities without being caught. You see, vultures have this incredible ability to spot poached carcasses from up above. They’re like these watchful guardians, always circling overhead, ready to expose the poachers to the anti-poaching units.

Did you know that mass poisonings for muthi are quite common in Africa? It’s a sad reality.

Between July 2011 and 2014, there were at least 10 reported incidents of poisonings, and it’s estimated that around 1,500 vultures died in southern Africa as a result.

One particularly devastating incident happened in 2019, when conservationists found the bodies of 537 vultures and two tawny eagles in northern Botswana. These magnificent birds, including species like white-backed vultures, white-headed vultures, hooded vultures, lappet-faced vultures, and Cape vultures, had died after feasting on the carcasses of three elephants that had been poisoned by ivory poachers.

In 2013, a catastrophic event took place in Namibia’s Caprivi Strip. I can hardly fathom the repercussions. Around 500 birds, including numerous vultures, lost their lives after consuming a poisoned elephant carcass. Unbelievably, the previous year witnessed a similar incident in Caprivi, where approximately 300 vultures met their demise.

It is distressing to acknowledge that the perpetrators behind these heinous acts show no signs of halting their poisonous activities. The African Wildlife Poison Database reveals that between 1961 and November 2019, a staggering 16,130 vultures fell victim to poisoning in Africa. Shockingly, a significant portion of this devastating toll, 2,231 vultures, occurred in South Africa alone.

I’m going to tell you something really interesting that I learned. Did you know that vultures in Africa are in danger? There are a lot of things that can hurt them, but one of the big problems is people using their body parts in traditional medicine. It sounds strange, right? But some people believe that vulture body parts have special powers, like being able to see the future!

Because of these beliefs, there is a demand for vulture heads, like their brains, beaks, and eyes. People also use their feathers for decoration, their talons for treating fever, and even their bones in circumcision ceremonies. It’s really sad because all of this is causing a lot of vultures to die.

I recently read a fascinating scientific paper by researchers, and you won’t believe what they discovered! According to BirdLife International, a staggering 29% of vulture deaths across the entire continent can be traced back to the muthi trade.

But that’s not all – vultures face even more insidious threats. One of them is habitat loss caused by changes in land use. Just think about it: natural areas are being transformed into farmland and human settlements, leaving these incredible creatures with less room to roam and fewer places to find their next meal.

And it doesn’t stop there. Humans are also disturbing vultures’ lives through various developments and behaviors. As a result, the vultures’ foraging ranges keep shrinking, and their food sources are dwindling.

Restoring the population through breeding

Welcome to Vulpro, the biggest center of its kind in Africa. We are located in Rietfontein and provide a home to over 273 vultures who, unfortunately, cannot be released back into the wild. We have created spacious enclosures specifically designed to cater to their needs, allowing them to live in groups and engage in natural behaviors. This way, they can lead a fairly normal life, despite their disabilities.

Now, let me tell you about a vital aspect of a vulture’s life: breeding.

Let me tell you about a really important way we can help prevent vulture extinctions: population supplementation. This is when we use non-releasable vultures to produce babies that can be released into the wild to boost the numbers of these endangered birds. It’s a way for captive-bred vultures to help their wild relatives.

At our center, we have amazing facilities where we can hatch up to 50 vulture eggs every year. We’re talking world-class incubation here!

How Vulpro Got Started

Let me share the story of how we started Vulpro. When Kerri worked with the Vulture Study Group at the EWT for two years, she saw that vultures were in serious trouble. Their numbers were dropping fast. That’s when she realized she could make the biggest impact by creating a whole organization dedicated to saving these incredible birds.

When I think about Vulpro, I can’t help but get excited. It’s like a secret world where amazing things happen. You see, Vulpro was created on New Year’s Day in 2007, and it has been doing incredible work ever since.

At first, Vulpro focused on the Cape vulture, a majestic bird that needed help. But as time went on, their mission expanded. Now, Vulpro works with all African vulture species and uses both in situ and ex situ conservation methods. They do everything from rescuing and rehabilitating vultures to conducting important research.

Vulpro’s goal is to not only help individual vultures but to also preserve and conserve these incredible birds for future generations. Their work is truly groundbreaking and has gained them worldwide recognition.

Having spent nearly two decades living and working closely with vultures, I have gained invaluable knowledge and understanding of these remarkable birds. My experiences have been unforgettable, with one particularly momentous occasion being when I flew alongside them in a tandem paraglider.

Let me tell you, there is nothing quite like being in the air with these majestic creatures. The sight of them soaring through the sky, their wings spread wide, is truly breathtaking. It was a life-changing event, and it only further deepened my dedication to ensuring the future well-being of vultures.

The Vulpro team and I are on a special mission to tag young Cape vultures from the Magaliesberg Mountain colonies. This allows us to track and gather valuable research.

One of the moments that truly impacted me was when I had the chance to sit on a breeding ledge and witness the parental love as the vulture parents fed their chicks. In that moment, I felt a connection as if I became a part of their family. It was incredible to see how these massive birds, with their strong beaks and dinosaur-like feet, showed such tenderness and care for their little ones.

When I observe how meticulously they navigate their impeccably crafted homes, I’m amazed at their carefulness to not disturb their precious eggs or harm their fledglings. It’s no easy task, given the tight quarters on a breeding ledge or nesting tree! It’s heartwarming to know that both parents actively participate in the entire breeding process, from constructing the nest and incubating the eggs, to raising the chicks. They are truly dedicated parents, fully committed to safeguarding and nurturing their offspring until they are ready to take flight and leave the nest.

Vulpro is a non-profit organization that works tirelessly to support these incredible birds. If you’re eager to contribute to their important mission, you can explore the various ways in which you can lend a hand by visiting their website at www.vulpro.com/how-can-you-help/.

If you happen to come across a vulture in distress, here are some steps you can take to assist:

To make contact, you can reach out via phone at +27 82 808 5113 or send an email to [email protected]. Don’t forget to follow Vulpro on Facebook to stay updated on their latest endeavors.