Page 1 - 16 May 2025

Eighty-four vultures have parts for the illegal wildlife support — including the
been rescued by a joint team trade. Hope for Wildlife helicopter
of SANParks rangers and The incident is one of the and additional logistics
Endangered Wildlife Trust largest seen in the park. A support — making this the
(EWT) officials from a total of 116 vultures were f i r s t t i m e S A N Pa r k s
devastating poisoning in the found dead at the scene. helicopters were formally
Kruger National Park. The used in a wildlife poisoning
incident in the Mahlangeni A World-Class Wildlife rescue of this scale.
Section (Northern Kruger) of Rescue Operation What followed was a
the Park was detected by the The initial responders – six coordinated, high-intensity Eighty-four vultures were rescued by the joint team of SANParks rangers, Moholoholo
EWT's pioneering wildlife SANParks rangers and two rescue effort: Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, Briner Veterinary Services, Wildscapes Vetirinary Services
poisoning surveillance and EWT officials – found two and Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) following a devastating poisoning incident in the
detection system, which vultures alive, but severely • 84 vultures — including Kruger National Park. (Photograph: EWT)
triggered an alert at 06:05 on affected, roughly 500 metres White-backed, Cape, and
6 May 2025, flagging from the poisoned elephant Hooded Vultures — were A National Wildlife between NGOs, rangers, incidents. The latest
suspicious activity in a carcass. These were rescued alive. Tragedy vets, and SANParks aerial operation highlights the
remote section of the park. immediately treated using • 45 were transported by The scale of the tragedy is and ranger units, many more importance of partnerships
birds would have been lost.
in addressing this problem.
emergency vulture first aid: t h e E W T ' s v u l t u r e staggering: 123 vultures
Within hours, a joint ambulance, a specialised were found dead at the The recovery and treatment
SANParks and EWT team atropine, activated charcoal, mobile unit designed to scene — 102 White-backed The Growing Threat of of the live vultures would not
mobilised, arriving on site by and fluid therapy. stabilise poisoned birds Vultures, 20 Cape Vultures, Poison Poaching have been possible if such
0 8 : 2 0 . T h e r e , t h e y Reinforcements were swiftly en route to treatment and one Lappet-faced This horrific incident is part partnerships were not in
discovered the grim reality: a deployed. Support teams facilities. Vulture, all listed as of a broader crisis unfolding place.
mass poisoning event from the Moholoholo Wild- endangered or critically across southern Africa: the We (SANParks) commend
involving hundreds of life Rehabilitation Centre, • 39 more were airlifted by endangered species. Of escalating use of poisons in every individual who
vultures, the result of an Briner Veterinary Services helicopter to the SAN these, 116 were already wildlife poaching. Poachers responded to this tragedy.
elephant carcass laced with and Wildscapes Veterinary Parks K9 facility in deceased when the team increasingly use agricultural Their courage, skill, and re-
P h a l a b o r w a f o r
highly toxic agrochemical Services mobi-lised within immediate monitoring. arrived. toxins to target high-value lentless commitment trans-
pesticides – poison laid by hours, while SANParks species – not just vultures, formed a potential extinc-
poachers to harvest body activated ranger and aerial • A final group was This marks one of the largest but also lions, whose body tion-level event into one of
transported later that vulture poisoning events in parts are in growing demand
night to Moholoholo for Southern Africa — and the for traditional medicine or the most successful vulture
continued intensive care. most extensive coordinated muthi. rescues ever recorded.
response effort and rescues The operation saw heli-
• Teams include vets from to date. Over 20 individuals This incident is a setback to
WildScapes and Briner ac ro ss c o nse rv ati o n, the vulture population in the copters making multiple
Veterinary Services, as veterinary, and enforcement Greater Kruger Landscape trips between the incident
well as the Moholoholo sectors played a role in the which is trying to recover site and Phalaborwa
team, worked through the rescue and response. from similar incidents in the throughout the day to assist
night to stabilize each bird Without rapid detection by p a s t . S A N P a r k s i s with the movement of the
and keep them alive. vultures.
the EWT's wildlife poisoning collaborating with various
Despite the best efforts, five detection and surveillance agencies and institutions to Issued By: South African
vultures succumbed to system and the unpre- address the current increase National Parks (SANParks)
poisoning. However, a cedented cooperation in particularly poisoning See page 12
remarkable 96% survival rate
was achieved among those
found alive. As of Thursday
morning (8 May 2025), 83
SANParks Pilot, Bradford Grafton, with one of the rescued vultures were still alive and
vultures. (Photo: SANParks) recovering.

SAPS Venterstad is seeking the community's assistance in the
tracing of the 81 year old Mr Jacob Lesshope who was
reported missing by his family on the 6th of May 2025.
According to his family he left their residence at Oviston on
the 21st of April 2025 to go to Venterstad but he never
returned home. He has Alzheimers.
On the day in question he was wearing a beige t-shirt, navy
jersey and trousers and white sneakers.
The SAPS diving unit from East London, K9 units from
Cradock, Khowa and Middelburg as well as LCRC office have
formed part of a search team in conjunction with the local
SAPS.
Any person that can assist the SAPS with information is
requested to please contact the SAPS Venterstad detectives
Sgt Mphafa on 082 301 84 08 or his family member on 084
A total of 116 vultures were found dead. (Photo: SANParks) 9705912.