Over 500 Rare Vultures Die After Eating Poisoned Elephants In Botswana
Over 500 Rare Vultures Die After Eating Poisoned Elephants In Botswana A total of 537 vultures, along with two tawny eagles, were found dead at the site in the north of the African country . A Credit Beckie Garbett Most of the birds were white-backed vultures, classified as critically endangered. CAPE TOWN — More than 530 endangered vultures have been killed in northern Botswana after ingesting poison left by elephant poachers, the government said on Thursday, underscoring the broader ecological fallout from Africa’s illegal trade in ivory. Five vulture species were identified at the site, which lies near Botswana’s border with Zimbabwe. Conservationists said that poachers had poisoned the birds in an effort to evade detection. As scavengers, vultures are attracted to freshly killed animals, and their presence in the air can alert rangers to poachers’ positions. “Vultures are sentinels to poached animals, so they’re directly being targeted,” said Kerri Wolt...