On 8 May 2025, we shared a devastating update on our Facebook page: the news was that more than 120 vultures died in Kruger National Park, victims of mass vulture poisoning. We didn’t expect much but, we knew it would upset people, and a few might share the post, but to our surprise, it blew up and performed better than we ever expected. The post struck a chord and quickly spread. We wondered why it resonated so deeply? This was not just another wildlife story but a reminder of a growing crisis threatening vultures in South Africa.
Rangers in Kruger National Park’s Mahlangeni section discovered a poisoned elephant carcass, marking one of the largest vulture poisoning events in the region’s history. Poachers had laced it with agricultural toxins, likely to harvest body parts for the illegal wildlife trade. The consequences were catastrophic: 123 vultures lost, including 102 white-backed vultures, 20 Cape vultures, and one lappet-faced vulture, all species already fighting for survival.
Fortunately, there was a silver lining. A rapid response by SANParks, the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), and veterinary teams led to the rescue of 84 vultures, now in recovery. Technology plays a crucial role in conservation, and if it were not for the EWT pioneering wildlife poisoning surveillance and detection system, triggering an alert at 06:05 on 6 May 2025, flagging suspicious activity in a remote section of the park, more vultures could have died.
Quick action led to a lifeline for 84 vultures in Kruger National Park. The situation could have been far more tragic. Without rapid detection and a well-coordinated response, the vultures might have died.
Six SANParks rangers and two EWT officials were first on the scene. They first found two vultures still alive but in critical condition, around 500 metres from a poisoned elephant carcass. The teams stabilised the vultures with emergency vulture care, including atropine, activated charcoal, and fluid therapy.
Additional support was quick. Support teams from the Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, Briner Veterinary Services and Wildscapes Veterinary Services mobilised within hours, while SANParks activated ranger and aerial support. This included the Hope for Wildlife helicopter and additional logistics support, making this the first time SANParks formally used their helicopters in a wildlife poisoning rescue of this scale.
But the story does not end there. This incident is just one example of a broader and more troubling pattern.
A pattern of vulture poisoning
This latest poisoning is just one in a series of similar events:
March 2024: Over 80 vultures and a hyena died in Kruger’s Mooiplaas section, again due to poisoning linked to poaching (IOL).
August 2022: Poachers poisoned around 100 vultures and a hyena near Punda Maria in the park’s northern region (News24).
December 2022, KwaZulu-Natal’s Zululand region: A poisoned carcass claimed the lives of 47 white-backed vultures and five tawny eagles. Disturbingly, poachers decapitated 35 of the vultures, a clear sign of targeting for the muti trade (Mail & Guardian)
June 2023: Poachers poisoned at least 27 more vultures in Zululand, with only two found alive (4Vultures.org).
June 2019: The most devastating case to date occurred in Botswana when three poisoned elephant carcasses killed 537 vultures and two tawny eagles (Africa Geographic).
Why do poachers target vultures?
Poachers target vultures for two main reasons:
- To conceal poaching activities. Vultures circling above a carcass can alert rangers to illegal activity, so poachers poison carcasses to eliminate this warning signal.
- For use in traditional belief systems. Poachers also kill vultures for the muti trade. While not all traditional healers condone this, there is demand for vulture parts as they believe they offer foresight, luck, or protection. This published report by the EWT and published research provides more information.
The trade of vulture parts is often opportunistic, intertwined with broader wildlife crime networks, and exacerbated by their tendency to congregate around food, making them vulnerable to mass poisoning.
South Africa’s vultures are at risk
Africa is home to 11 vulture species. Seven face the risk of extinction, listed as Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
The most familiar species in South Africa are:
- White-backed vulture – Critically Endangered
- Hooded vulture – Critically Endangered
- White–headed vulture – Critically Endangered
- Cape vulture – Endangered
- Bearded vulture – Near Threatened
- Lappet-faced vulture – Endangered
What do these listings mean? Critically Endangered is one step from extinction in the wild.
African vulture populations have been plummeting by 80-97% over the last five decades, with some species facing a decline of over 92%. The main threats include poisoning (responsible for 61% of recorded vulture deaths across Africa), belief-based use (29%), and electrocution by energy infrastructure (9%), according to BirdLife International.
Furthermore, vultures breed slowly. They often only have one chick a year.
A broader wildlife crime problem
Vultures are not the only victims. Poachers also use poison against lions, leopards, hyenas, and other predators, all killed for the illegal trade in body parts and to get them out of the way in areas where poachers want to operate. It is a quiet and highly effective method for poachers and leaves a long trail of destruction. Secondary poisonings are common, killing jackals and even birds of prey that scavenge tainted remains.
Why vultures matter
Vultures are nature’s clean-up crew, essential to maintain ecological balance and cleaning up decaying carcasses. By quickly consuming dead animals, they prevent the spread of diseases such as anthrax, rabies, and botulism. Most scavengers can’t do this as effectively, which increases disease risks when they feed on rotting carcasses.
Vultures can soar vast distances using thermals, spotting carcasses from kilometres away and cleaning them up before other scavengers even find them. They don’t become invasive or multiply rapidly around food sources (like rats), so they keep ecosystems in balance without causing new problems.
Vultures can clean an entire carcass in a short amount of time, leaving little for disease to fester in. Other scavengers are slower and often leave remains behind.
BirdLife International estimates that vultures contribute around $1.8 billion annually in ecological services to Southern Africa. Their absence would come at a cost to wildlife and people.
How you can help
- Support the frontline: Donate to trusted conservation groups like EWT and vulture-conservation organisations like VulPro. Furthermore, the SANParks Honorary Rangers also raise funds to assist with specific projects within SANParks.
- Be a voice: Share this story and help others understand why vultures matter.
- Report wildlife crimes: If you see something, say something.
- Challenge myths: Educate those around you about vultures and their role in traditional beliefs.
Vultures play a unique, irreplaceable role. Without vultures, decaying matter overwhelms ecosystems and increases the risk of disease. This has already happened in parts of Asia. Together, we can keep vultures soaring and ecosystems thriving.
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