It’s a brand new year and before We Wild Africa for Nature gets into 2024 action, it’s time to quickly reflect, celebrate and plan.
The team dove into their rich history of conservation stories, highlighting the 550 lives they have touched through rescue and relocation efforts. Each animal story is a chapter in their legacy of commitment and expertise.
Late last year, WWF embarked on a mission to rescue two distressed vultures, a Cape Vulture and a White-backed Vulture. WWA, in collaboration with local authorities and organisations like VulPro and the Kariega SPCA, successfully executed the rescue.
According to WWA, the Cape Vulture and the White-backed Vulture play a vital role in maintaining the balance of ecosystems by acting as nature’s clean-up crew, preventing the spread of diseases from carcasses. Unfortunately, both species face threats from habitat loss, poisoning, disturbances at breeding sites, and hunting, leading to a decline in their populations. The Cape Vulture is listed as “Vulnerable” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List and the White-backed Vulture is classified as “Critically Endangered.”
Upon rescue, the vultures underwent a rehabilitation process, where they were placed on a specialised diet to reduce their weight to a healthy level. The Cape Vulture returned to the wild, while the White-backed Vulture joined a breeding programme.
This successful rescue and rehabilitation were made possible through collaboration with several organisations. The collaborators’ combined dedication to conservation and expertise have been instrumental in giving these vultures a new lease on life, ensuring the continued survival and well-being of these important species in our ecosystem.
