Author: Harold Gess

Misunderstood, feared, and persecuted, vultures worldwide are in decline. Vulpro is working to reverse that trend in Southern Africa. Pictures and story by Harold Gess. South Africa is home to nine species of vulture but many of these have experienced a dramatic fall in numbers to the point where three of them are listed on the IUCN Red List as critically endangered, two as endangered, and one as vulnerable. According to Birdlife South Africa, the causes of the decline in vulture populations are numerous. Poachers kill large numbers of vultures using poison-laced carcasses, and many more are killed through secondary…