Mass poisonings are killing predators and scavengers across Africa. Poisoning occurs for two main reasons. In Kenya, when a predator kills domestic livestock, pastoralists lace the carcass with poison to kill off other nearby predators. In other parts of the continent, poachers deliberately poison vultures to prevent them from flying over carcasses and revealing the poachers’ presence. Poisons are also used to harvest fish and birds for food, and for obtaining animal body parts to supply the trade in belief-based use. More than 500 vultures have been killed from a single poisoning event.  Many other species including eagles, lions, leopards, hyenas, storks, and jackals also unwittingly feed on these poisoned baits. 

Our Impact:
3915 people trained in conflict prevention and poisoning response, 51 poisonings prevented by trainees, 52 participants in our “Vulture Protector Network”, 100 first responders trained

 

Transporting a rehabilitated vulture in a helicopter

Abraham Loomuna

Africa's Raptors are in Crisis

Our Solutions

Vulture Liaison Officers (VLOs) are local community members we have trained to respond to a poisoning incident, notably how to secure and treat live, poisoned vultures so they can be transported for rehabilitation. Thanks to the VLO and our local partners, we are able to rescue, rehabilitate and release poisoned raptors back into the wild

 

Biologist looking at dead vultures

Abraham Loomuna

Our Solutions

We have established the Vulture Protector Network (VPN), which provides individuals and organizations across Kenya to share real-time information on livestock predation and potential poisoning events. Thanks to this rapid means of communication and the Wildlife Poisoning Response Protocol we have put in place, we are able to quickly and effectively respond to these events and safely dispose of contaminated carcasses, thereby saving countless other animals from dying. 

 

Biologist providing training to local community members

Valerie Nasoita

Our Solutions

Our VLOs conduct regular education and outreach activities to sensitize communities about the detrimental impacts of poisoning both to wildlife and to humans, the importance of vultures and top predators to the ecosystem, and alternative solutions to prevent human-wildlife conflicts.

Back to Africa Program Home