Heroes, not Villains
7 September 2024 is International Vulture Awareness Day, and CapeNature will be celebrating all vultures everywhere but especially the Cape Vultures that call De Hoop Nature Reserve home.
These extraordinary birds are masters of flight, devoted parents, have extraordinary eyesight, and are fastidious about personal hygiene. They are nature’s clean-up crew, disposing of carrion and thereby preventing the spread of diseases. But many vulture species are at risk of extinction. The 2024 National Vulture Multi-Species Biodiversity Management Plan highlights the threats that they face – deliberate and accidental poisoning, electrocutions and collisions with power infrastructure, disturbance at breeding sites, and harvesting of body parts for use in the bushmeat and traditional medicine trades.
Despite this, the De Hoop Cape Vulture colony has increased steadily over the last 30 years. For this, we thank the dedicated staff at De Hoop, wildlife rehabilitation organizations such as VulPro and Cango Wildlife Ranch, and especially the many conservation-minded farmers in the Overberg area.
Note: Visitors to De Hoop Nature Reserve can book a guided “vulture experience” hike to the vulture viewing platform on Potberg Mountain: https://www.dehoopcollection.com/project/vulture-experience/.
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