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A recent report by BirdLife highlights the substantial economic and ecological contributions of vultures in Southern Africa.
The study reveals that vultures provide ecosystem services worth approximately $1.8 billion annually in Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia.
These services include bequest values, sanitation, and pest control, highlighting the critical role that vultures play in maintaining ecological balance by scavenging decaying carcasses.
Africa is home to eleven species of vultures, with seven facing extinction risks, classified as Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, BirdLife reports.
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Sadly, over the past five decades, African vulture populations have plummeted by 80-97%, with some species experiencing declines of over 92%.
The primary threats to Southern Africa’s vultures, highlighted by the report, include poisoning (responsible for 61% of recorded deaths), belief-based use (29%), and electrocution by energy infrastructure (9%).
In Southern Africa, incidents like the 2019 mass poisoning in Botswana, which killed over 500 Critically Endangered vultures, brings to light the urgent need for conservation efforts.
The welfare loss from not conserving vultures is estimated at $47 million per year, while conserving them yields welfare gains of $30 million annually.
The report encourages collaborations among governments, civil society, academia, and local communities to ensure the long-term survival of vulture populations in Southern Africa.
Find the full BirdLife report here.
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