Soaring with the vultures

Here are some updates from the vulture conservation front:

The 2011 Annual Report of the Bearded Vulture Task Force can be downloaded here .
Interesting points:
- an additional vulture feeding site was established in Tsehlanyane Nature Reserve in Lesotho
- only one additional vulture was fitted with a transmitter in 2011: an adult female in the Northern Berg
- the vulture nest in the UDP currently under video surveillance had roosting activity but again no breeding
- a second camera has been installed at another site.

Results from the annual Vulture Count Day help on 3 September 2011, can be downloaded here .
1240 Cape Vultures, 35 Bearded Vultures, 855 Whitebacked Vultures, 34 Lappetfaced Vultures, 6 Whiteheaded Vultures and 19 Hooded Vultures were counted. The bearded vultures were mostly associated with the Maloti-Drakensberg region.

For those interested, KZN Wildlife publish updates on their Facebook page on the latest map-results of their bearded vulture tracking program. The movements of 10 vultures (who have their own names) are plotted on these maps. Many are in the UDP region, others in the Eastern Cape Berg and various parts of Lesotho. Check it out, its quite interesting.

Here's to conserving our vultures. Keep it up guys!