Vulture Conservation: Protecting Nature Scavengers from Multiple Threats

Vultures are among the most threatened bird groups globally, facing poisoning, persecution, trade, and collision threats. Their welfare and conservation are inseparable given the welfare role they play in ecosystems.

Key Facts

Seven of the eleven African vulture species are now threatened with extinction according to IUCN assessments
Poisoning is the leading cause of vulture mortality in Africa -- both targeted and as non-target bycatch
Poachers deliberately poison carcasses to prevent vultures signalling law enforcement to poaching sites
The Asian vulture crisis was caused by veterinary diclofenac use in cattle -- banned in some but not all countries
Vulture parts are used in traditional belief medicine across parts of Africa, driving targeted killing
Vulture restaurants -- supplemental feeding sites with safe carcasses -- help maintain populations in some regions
Vultures perform critical ecosystem services by rapidly consuming carcasses that would otherwise spread disease

Welfare Considerations

Vulture welfare concerns are both individual and ecosystem-level. Individual vultures suffering poison deaths experience severe neurological deterioration over hours or days -- the suffering from targeted poisoning and non-target diclofenac poisoning is significant. At the ecosystem level, vulture decline allows carcasses to decompose slowly, increasing disease risk for other wildlife and livestock. The welfare role of vultures in rapidly removing carcasses and the disease they would otherwise carry makes vulture conservation a welfare issue for the broader animal community they serve.

What You Can Do

Support campaigns to ban veterinary diclofenac in all countries where it is still used in livestock
Donate to vulture conservation organisations in Africa and Asia working on poisoning prevention and population monitoring
Advocate for wildlife poisoning to carry serious penalties -- poisoning is one of the most significant wildlife crime categories
Support vulture safe zones and supplemental feeding programmes that maintain populations in critical areas
Engage with traditional medicine practitioners on vulture conservation through culturally sensitive dialogue