Over 120 Endangered Vultures Poisoned After Feeding on Elephant Carcass in South Africa
In a tragic blow to wildlife conservation, more than 120 endangered vultures have been poisoned and k!lled in South Africa’s Kruger National Park after feeding on a poisoned elephant carcass. This shocking incident, confirmed by park authorities and the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) on Thursday, May 8, is one of the worst mass poisonings of birds of prey in the region’s history.
According to a joint statement from Kruger Park and the EWT, the poisoning happened earlier in the week and led to the deaths of 123 vultures right at the scene.
The dead vultures included white-backed vultures, Cape vultures, and a lappet-faced vulture—all species already listed as endangered or critically endangered. Thankfully, 84 other vultures were found alive and rushed by road and helicopter for emergency care and further monitoring.
Authorities suspect that poachers were behind the poisoning, using a highly toxic agrochemical pesticide to lace the elephant carcass. This cruel method is increasingly used by poachers to target not only vultures but also lions, whose body parts are often sold in illegal traditional medicine markets.
This disturbing case is reminiscent of a similar mass poisoning in Botswana in 2019, where more than 500 vultures were k!lled under the same conditions.
Gareth Tate, manager of the EWT’s Birds of Prey Programme, explained how poachers operate:
“Poachers often use carcasses laced with poison or animals caught by snares as bait.”
He added that vultures are sometimes targeted directly,
“because of their role as natural sentinels, circling above carcasses and thereby alerting authorities to illegal activity.”
This incident has sparked serious concern among conservationists, who warn that such deliberate killings are pushing already endangered vulture populations closer to extinction. It’s also a major setback in ongoing efforts to protect wildlife across Southern Africa.
