Threatened species of Gyps

Threatened species of Vulture

Nature

Vultures and their scavenging companions are one of the most persecuted groups of animals. In attempting to control the loss of livestock to animals such as Jackals and stray dogs, vultures will be persecuted as non-target species. Farmers will lace carcasses with poison as bait and inevitably vultures will feed from these and become poisoned themselves. Vultures have also been persecuted due to the belief that they spread anthrax to livestock.

Incidence

The South African Red Data Book lists nine of the southern African region's fourteen scavenging birds as being rare, "Vulnerable" or "Endangered".

Claim

Vultures and other avian scavengers combine to play a very important ecological role in the clearing of carcasses. By rapidly consuming the remains of dead animals, vultures can prevent these carcasses from acting as hosts to various diseases, such as blowfly and anthrax, that may otherwise spread to livestock.