The impact of traditional use on vultures in South Africa

Abstract

Use of vultures is an important component of traditional medicine, particularly in South Africa and there is evidence to suggest that traditional use is at least partly responsible for the rapid decline of vulture populations in this country. Until very recently, little information on the extent of the trade in animal parts, particularly vultures, for traditional medicine was available. The secretive and illegal nature of vulture use makes it extremely difficult to obtain reliable data on amounts and turnovers of species traded, which is essential to assess potential impacts on species populations. Research confirms that vultures are used in the traditional medicine industry for a range of purposes, but are believed to be most effective for providing clairvoyant powers, foresight and increased intelligence. The main drivers of demand for these uses are betting and gambling, for improved business success, and intelligence in school children. Vulture is also prescribed by traditional healers for various ailments, including headaches. It is estimated that 160 vultures are sold per annum in eastern South Africa, with some 59,000 consumption events of vulture pieces. The total annual value of sales of vultures to end consumers in eastern South Africa (excluding the costs of vultures as input costs) is estimated at R1,2 million ($US 120k). Various species of vulture are used for traditional medicine; there is no distinct species preference. Vultures traded in the eastern South African markets are harvested by vulture hunters from a range of formally protected and unprotected natural areas in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Lesotho and southern Mozambique. They are killed using shotguns, poisons or traps. Poisoning is the most destructive and widely used method of harvesting as large numbers of vultures are usually killed in one poisoning event. An estimated 1,250 vulture traders, hunters and traditional healers in eastern South Africa are involved in the vulture trade. With small vulture populations and poor breeding success, the current trade in vultures is not sustainable at the present harvest levels. The implication for people using or trading in vultures is that the benefits currently enjoyed will not be available in 15 to 30 years time.

Using Africa's protected area network to estimate the global population of a threatened and declining species: a case study of the Critically Endangered White‐headed Vulture Trigonoceps occipitalis

“…; McKean et al. ) and electrocution (Anderson and Kruger ; Angelov et al. ) further supports the recent revision of the conservation status of this species to “Critically Endangered” (BirdLife, ).…”

“…Alone, this would justify a re-assessment of an existing conservation status of this species to "Endangered", based on the IUCN's Red List criteria (IUCN, 2014). However, the large (>95%) and long-term declines reported for this species ) across most of Africa over recent decades, combined with a range of ongoing threats that include poisoning (Kendall and Virani 2012;Roxburgh and McDougall 2012), harvesting for the animal trade (Groom et al 2013;McKean et al 2013) and electrocution (Anderson and Kruger 1995;Angelov et al 2013) further supports the recent revision of the conservation status of this species to "Critically Endangered" (BirdLife, 2015).…”

Local knowledge and perceptions of vulture conservation in communities living adjacent to the northern Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe.

“…In southern Africa, poisoning is claiming the lives of most vulture species (McNutt & Bradley 2014, Murn & Botha 2017. This is either deliberately as poacher's lace carcasses with poison to target vultures so that they do not expose poaching activities (Ogada et al 2016), or for ritual purposes (Groom et al 2013, McKean et al 2013. In some cases, vulture poisoning is unintentional (secondary poisoning), whereby vultures consume poisoned baits targeting predators (Simmons 1995).…”

Talons and beaks are viable but underutilized samples for detecting organophosphorus and carbamate pesticide poisoning in raptors

“…In Europe where a legal framework is being forged, and in Africa, where efforts are underway to strengthen legislation, regulatory mechanisms and investigatory/analytical capacity, failure to utilize these samples in the absence of other viable carcass components may result in pesticide residues -and deliberate poisoning incidents -being overlooked. In Africa there could also be severe health repercussions to people who consume heads or feet (Richards et al 2015) in the context of traditional medicine or fetishism, for example in parts of western and central Africa (McKean et al 2013. This is an area that requires further exploration, and that could be informed by toxicological analysis of beaks and talons.…”

“…In Africa, avian scavengers are being secondarily poisoned at an alarming rate, by consuming livestock carcasses deliberately laced with OP and CM pesticides intended for predators, especially lions and, to an even greater extent, hyenas (Otieno et al 2011, Ogada 2014. These compounds are also used to deliberately poison birds for human consumption, whether as food (Odino 2012), or for recovery of their body parts -including heads and feet -which are then sold for 'traditional medicine' or as fetish for enhancing a person's luck or success (McKean et al 2013. Vultures are now deliberately targeted by poachers who seek to prevent the birds' overhead circling, which rangers and scouts have learned to monitor as an indication of illicit poaching activity .…”