(MENAFN) South Africa’s government has issued a warning about a significant drop in vulture populations, emphasizing that ongoing losses could lead to severe environmental repercussions.

In a statement delivered on Monday, Dion George, the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, revealed that two major poisoning incidents in 2025 alone resulted in the deaths of hundreds of vultures.

In May, at least 123 vultures perished after consuming a poisoned elephant carcass within South Africa’s Kruger National Park.

Fortunately, wildlife rangers managed to rescue and provide treatment to around 83 of the surviving birds.

Another mass poisoning took place at the nearby Lionspruit Game Reserve in Mpumalanga, where over 100 vultures were also killed.

Minister George cautioned that if such occurrences persist without intervention, the loss of thousands of vultures could cause catastrophic environmental and public health consequences.

He called on South Africans to actively participate in safeguarding these birds, warning that without coordinated efforts, multiple vulture species may face extinction.

According to a 2025 report by BirdLife International, vultures contribute an estimated $1.8 billion annually to the economy of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.

The report highlights poisoning as the primary cause of vulture fatalities in Africa (61%), followed by belief-based uses (29%) and electrocution caused by energy infrastructure (9%).

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