Fact: Vultures act as monitors of national parks and game management areas. They do so by alerting rangers to where a dead animal is and thus helping rangers to capture poachers.
There are about 23 species of vultures around the world. Few species are found in Zambia including the Lappet-faced Vulture (Torgos tracheliotos), White-headed Vulture (Trigonopceps occipitalis) White-backed Vulture (Gyps africanus), Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) and the extremely uncommon Palm-nut Vulture (Gypohierax angolensis).
They are distributed around Zambia in habitats with large mammal populations and farmland where animals are slaughtered.
African vultures are widely known as old world vultures as opposed to those in the Americas which are known as new world vultures.
Over the past years, several bird species have been victims of poisoning using agricultural chemicals including critically endangered species (CR)  like the Lappet-faced Vulture (Torgos tracheliotos), White-headed Vulture(Trigonopceps occipitalis)  White-backed Vulture (Gyps africanus), Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) and Ruppell’s Vulture (Gyps rueppellii) as well as endangered species such as the Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum).
From April 2013, BirdWatch Zambia has documented Vulture poisoning incidents and the trend is increasing. A total of 1,837 Vultures have been poisoned from 2013 to date, as recorded by BirdWatch Zambia from data collected across the country and reported by bird guides. In addition to that, about 50 Grey Crowned Cranes have been recorded as victims of poisoning of the last one year.
Furthermore, about 12,560 insectivorous birds were recorded as Casualties of Organophosophate poisoning in Chisamba Important Bird Area (IBA) in November 2015.
Only 500 Vulture deaths have been confirmed to be as a result of organophosphate poisoning whilst that of the 50 Grey Crowned Cranes is another confirmed case of organophosphate poisoning.
Vultures are scavenging birds.  They do not hunt or kill animals but feed on dead animals. Some species such as the lappet faced Vulture have been said to kill smaller antelopes, but of course Warthog cannot confirm that.
Vultures feed entirely on the carrion by way of scavenging for carcasses. A flock of vultures can clean a carcass of a dead bullock within 30 to 40 minutes.
Thus the vultures help cleaning the vicinity from the dirt and danger of any epidemic breaking out due to the dead bodies of animals lying around.
The Vultures’ foraging behavior and life-history traits make them especially vulnerable to poisons.
First, as obligate scavengers that rely on eating dead animals or waste products, they are much more easily exposed to contaminants than most other species.
Secondly, because vultures feed communally, often in large aggregations, many birds can be poisoned by a single carcass.
Thirdly, vultures are very long-lived and at a high trophic level, which increases their vulnerability to bio-accumulation. Fourth, vultures’ long lifespan and slow reproductive rate means that increased mortality among adult birds has devastating effects at the population level. 1,800 vultures have been poisoned countrywide in the last 12 months using three classes of pesticides; organochlorines, organophosphates and carbamates.
Organophosphates form one of the most groups of agricultural pesticides. These chemicals are very effective yet extremely toxic to several taxonomic groupings including mammals, birds, insects and reptiles.
These chemicals enter the body through ingestion, inhalation or contact with skin. They then attack the nervous system by inhibiting a neurotransmitter that carries signals between nerves and muscles. Victims of organophosphate poisoning typically die because they cannot breathe.
As a result of its acutely lethal nature this group of chemicals has been banned in most Countries with the exception of a few countries, Zambia included. Common Organophospahtes on the Zambian Market include; Endosulfan, Monocrotophos, Nagphos, Phoskill, Multilaxin and Ciltara.
Some vultures grow to large sized birds having a wingspan of about three metres and weighing about 10 kilogrammes.
Some vultures have bald heads and hooked bills. Lappet faced, white headed and white backed vulture’s neck allows the head to be pushed inside the carcass without getting the feather bloody and messy.
By consuming carcasses of animals, vultures prevent the spread of dangerous diseases like rabies and anthrax, which could cause a lot of harm to both the wildlife and humans alike.
In the national parks and game management areas, few alternatives for the disposal of carcasses exist in the absence of scavengers.
Without alternative modes of disposal of animal carcasses, they continue to be disposed of in the open, thus leading to increased risk of rabies and livestock borne diseases like anthrax. Thus the vultures play a key ecological role in our bio-diversity.
Any threats to biodiversity possess immense threat to the survival and wellbeing of mankind.
However, today our bio-diversity is facing a typical problem – that is the rapid decline in the vulture population.
Research has shown that the causes the population of vultures has rapidly declined in Zambia. Almost two decades ago, the vultures were found in huge numbers near cities, towns, villages, open area, scrubby forests and scattered tall trees.
However, in recent years the gradual decline in vulture population has been observed by ornithologists.  This decline is now assuming alarming proportions.
Today these scavenging birds are hardly seen at the places where they were seen in large numbers.
So scientists world over have focused their attention to protect and preserve this important species which play a vital role for nature and mankind.
BirdWatch Zambia in conjunction with the Wildlife and Environmental Conservation Society of Zambia together with other stakeholders will next Saturday, September 3, 2016 commemorate the International Vulture Awareness Day.
Warthog hereby extends an invitation to you our reader to attend an exhibition at East Park Mall in Lusaka. You can also find us on www.fb.me/conservationzambia for more information on Vultures.
Like our Facebook page to learn more. Warthog gives special thanks to Chaona Phiri of BirdWatch Zambia for contributing this article.

Comments: Wildlife & Environmental Conservation Society of Zambia, P.O. Box 30255, Lusaka, Zambia. Telefax: 260-211-251630, Cell: 0977-780770, E-mail: wecsz@coppernet.zm Facebook: Wildlife and Environmental Conservation Society of Zambia.