Cape Vulture Nature Reserve in Hoedspruit will mark International Vulture Awareness Day on September 5 by counting the roughly 728 breeding pairs of Cape Vultures nesting on the cliffs above the lodge.
The monitoring is part of the reserve’s conservation partnership with the Endangered Wildlife Trust and helps track a species facing threats from poisoning, habitat loss and power line collisions. Tourism plays a role in supporting this work as guests sometimes join researchers in the field and gain first-hand insight into vulture conservation.
“People arrive expecting a wildlife photo opportunity,” says Ashley Lambert, General Manager of Cape Vulture Nature Reserve. “They leave understanding a supply chain. Once you’ve watched a researcher trace a poisoning incident back to its source, you understand why this work can’t wait for someone else to do it.”
Conservation efforts extend beyond the reserve through community initiatives, including an on-site permaculture garden where local farmers learn organic growing methods that reduce the need for chemical pesticides. This, in turn, helps protect water systems connected to the vultures’ habitat.
Guests can spend time working in the garden alongside local growers while the reserve also runs school programmes aimed at challenging negative perceptions and myths surrounding vultures.
