Research staff at the University of Oviedo warn that the illegal persecution of elephants, rhinos and giraffes in Africa can encourage trade in the body parts of these scavengers, which are at serious risk of extinction
The poaching associated with the illegal trade of elephant tusks, rhinoceros horns and different parts of giraffes, such as hides and bones, not only threatens the conservation of these emblematic species, but also impacts other African fauna, such as vultures, as indicated by a study undertaken by the University of Oviedo published in the journal Biological Conservation. Poachers targeting African megafauna poison carrion to prevent vultures, which quickly locate dead animals, so as not to expose the location of these illegal activities to the personnel responsible for fighting them. This practice, which can kill hundreds of vultures with a single carrion, is contributing to the alarming decline of the eight species of these scavengers in Africa, with populations declining by 62% on average in the last three decades. For example, 537 vultures were recently poisoned by poachers from three dead elephants in Botswana.
José Vicente López-Bao and Patricia Mateo-Tomás, authors of this research, and collaborators on the Spanish Action Plan against illegal trafficking and international poaching of wild fauna and flora (TIFIES Plan), warn that mass poisoning of vultures in the carrion of animals targeted by poachers can also stimulate illegal trade of African vulture parts for use in traditional medicine or muthi, considered the second-leading threat to these birds in Africa, after poisoning. This creates a dangerous synergy that can increase interest in hunting vultures to obtain their body parts by poisoning the carrion of the megafauna that are also victims of illegal wildlife trafficking, the fourth largest illegal activity in the world.
The article highlights that 26 vultures were poisoned on average in three events involving directly capturing these birds to supply the traditional market. In the carrion of a single elephant illegally killed by poachers for its tusks and subsequently poisoned, 65 vultures (out of a total of 191 poisoned) were counted that were missing their beaks, a clear sign of their use for traditional medicine.
The study calls for greater international involvement
The study emphasises that there are very few records of the presence of mutilated vultures killed in megafauna carrion poisoned by poachers. They therefore demand greater involvement of the authorities responsible for fighting against poaching to systematically monitor the situation to reveal the real magnitude of this perverse synergy that is created between megafauna poaching and the trade of vulture parts. López-Bao and Mateo-Tomás suggest taking existing programmes as a starting point for such monitoring, such as the Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) programme of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which collects information about elephant poaching by locating their carrion in many areas throughout the distribution area of the three species of elephants present today. They also emphasise the need to extend these measures to other species threatened by illegal persecution, such as rhinoceros and giraffes.
Article data
Mateo-Tomás P., López-Bao J.V. 2020. Poisoning poached megafauna can boost trade in African vultures. Biological Conservation 241: 108389.
