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| Iringa District Commissioner Richard Kasesela speaks during the International Vulture Awareness Day at Tungamalenga Village yesterday. |
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Msafiri Mgumba Assistant Ecological Coordinator (AEC) Ruaha -Katavi Landscape Program Wildlife Conservation Society explains to the public about the vultures.
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| Students hold pictures of vultures |
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Halima Kiwango Ruaha National Park ecologist |
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Secretary General of MBOMIPA Josephate Kisanyage |
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Mkuu wa Kanda- KDU Iringa Paul Simango |
By Friday Simbaya, Iringa
Vultures in Ruaha and Katavi national parks are under grave threat of extinction due to the use of deadly poisons by villagers.
According to Msafiri Mgumba Assistant Ecological Coordinator (AEC) Ruaha -Katavi Landscape Program Wildlife Conservation Society statement issued yesterday by to mark International Vulture Awareness Day, Ruaha National Park and Katavi National Park vultures they have seen decrease in their population since 2013-2017.
This is according to the study they conducted in collaboration with North Carolina Zoo of USA, Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) and Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA).
Tanzania is marking International Vulture Awareness Day for the first in the history of country and it was held at Tungamalenga Village, one the villages surrounding RUNAPA in Iringa district, Iringa region.
He said through Ruaha-Katavi Landscape Program the ecology of Ruaha-Katavi is very important in the conservation of 5 types of vultures that are at high risk of extinction.
Msafiri said that in recent reviews indicate that poisoning is the major threat to the vulture population especial in Ruaha National Park (RUNAPA).
He said villagers left the dead cow with poison to hunt for the lion who killed but unfortunately the group of vultures at that body died.
“Encroaching cattle that has been killed by lioness but villagers in revenge leave the dead cow with poison and left to rot is being eaten by the birds and is killing them”, he said.
Ruaha and Katavo have five vulture species including white headed vulture, Ruppel’s, White-backed vulture, Rüppell's vulture, big headed vulture listed by WCS that are critically endangered.
“Poisoning is probably the biggest threat to Ruaha-Katavi ’s vultures,” said Msafiri Mgumba Assistant Ecological Coordinator (AEC) Ruaha -Katavi Landscape Program Wildlife Conservation Society .
Vultures are supreme scavengers and play an essential ecological role as garbage collectors and re-cyclers and the free the environmental Carrion, birds are large, carnivorous, scavenger birds, which breeds diseases.
According to WCS, at least 56 vultures were killed over the past four years in Ruaha National Park due to use of poisons by the Tungamalenga villagers in Iringa District, Iringa region.
In 2015 to date, WCS and North Carolina Zoo have been successful put 10 vultures with special devices on the back, to get information about them when they split out of the Ruaha National Park and went on other areas or outside of Tanzania.
Therefore, the vultures are migratory birds which migrate annually between Africa and other parts of the world and they come but to the country.
On his part, Iringa District Commissioner Richard Kasesela was the guest of honour during the International Vulture Awareness Day said raising awareness among villagers is the first line of defence against the decline in numbers due to poisoning.
He urged villagers not to kill vultures’ birds because they important of for environmental conservation and also they help in reducing poaching in the parks.
Kasesela said vultures were helping village game scouts (VGS) and game rangers to locate where the dead bodies of wildlife are.
He added that vultures are able to see dead bodies as far as 3000 metres (3kms) above the ground.
“They have keen vision that enables them to locate their food from about 3000 meters above the ground,” he said.
He said that vultures are good for reducing the spread of disease like rabies spread by dogs, anthrax and tuberculosis (TB).
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