Poachers Find a New Target in Vultures

Gayane Margaryan January 3, 2014

About the Author

Gayane Margaryan is African Wildlife Foundation's Senior Digital and Partner Marketing Manager. She oversees digital fundraising, advocacy, social media marketing, and affiliate relationships. Gayane is passionate about communicating the message of conservation through new tools and technologies… More

Vulture in mid flight in Tanzania. Photo by Billy Dodson

On the heels of the elephant cyanide poisonings that happened in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park—which shocked and outraged many of us—comes another poisoning atrocity. This time, poachers are targeting creatures of flight…vultures.

2013 saw a dramatic increase in vulture poisonings, with an estimated 1,500 birds killed since May of 2013. Vultures are poisoned to prevent the carrion-consuming birds from drawing the attention of game rangers to poachers’ illegal activities. It is presumed that the demand for their heads, which are believed to have medicinal and clairvoyant powers, is also increasing.