By Ebi Kesiena
More than 120 endangered vultures have been found dead after feeding on a poisoned elephant carcass in South Africa’s Kruger National Park, in what conservationists are calling one of the worst mass poisonings in recent years.
According to a joint statement released on Thursday by South African National Parks and the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), a total of 123 vultures, comprising white-backed vultures, Cape vultures, and a lappet-faced vulture, were discovered lifeless at the scene. All species are listed as either endangered or critically endangered.
The birds are believed to have died after consuming the remains of an elephant laced with a highly toxic agrochemical pesticide, allegedly placed there by poachers. Authorities suspect the poisoning was part of a deliberate effort to kill vultures and other scavengers whose body parts are trafficked for use in traditional medicine.
“This is a devastating loss. The scale of the tragedy is staggering,” the statement read, as officials confirmed it was the worst such incident since 2019, when over 500 vultures were poisoned in Botswana under similar circumstances.
Eighty-four surviving vultures were rescued and evacuated—some by helicopter—for emergency treatment and monitoring, the statement added.
Experts say poachers often target large animals like elephants or lions, poisoning carcasses to kill vultures either for body parts or to prevent the birds from alerting authorities to illegal kills by circling overhead.
“Sometimes vultures are maliciously targeted because they act as sentinels, unintentionally revealing poaching sites,” said Gareth Tate, manager of EWT’s Birds of Prey Programme.
Authorities are investigating the incident and urging stricter protection of wildlife species increasingly threatened by illicit poaching tactics.
