Vultures

 

I LOVE this photo. The silhouette of vultures perched on a dead tree at sunset is eerie and dramatic. I like dramatic anything, so I find these creatures fascinating. 

 

I imagine these vultures waiting in the twilight for the wail of a captured impala as a pack of African wild dogs serves the antelope up for dinner. Or, perhaps they are listening to a trio of lionesses taking down a baby giraffe. The sound can never be unheard, but hearing the growls and pitiful cries is like a dinner bell for the birds. Why? Because raptors are scavengers that eat dead animals, whatever is left when the dogs or the lions are sated becomes a delicious and nutritious meal. Sounds disgusting, right?

 

But know, there is nothing gratuitous about the merciless events that take place in the animal world. It's survival.

 

Vultures are vital to the ecosystem. According to National Geographic, "They remove bacteria and other poisons in the environment quickly, consuming carcasses before they decay. Additionally, their stomachs contain a powerful acid that destroys many of the harmful substances found in dead animals."  

 

They are the clean-up team that's called in after a killing! Leave no trace! 

 

Sadly, vultures in Southern Africa are endangered. Circling high above a kill alerts the anti-poaching teams that something has died. Sometimes the killers are poachers. Not wanting to be caught, poachers poison the carcasses of dead animals so the vultures will eat the carrion and die. In one case, 500 vultures fed on one poisoned elephant carcass, all perished in agony. 

 

I've seen a couple of kills in the bush, and it's awful to witness. But the careless killing of species for their body parts or because they interfered with a crime is horrific. This senseless massacre scares me because ". . .without vultures, reeking carcasses would likely linger longer, insect populations would boom, and diseases would spread – to people, livestock, and other wild animals". 

 

Sounds apocalyptic!

 

Thanks again to National Geographic for helping me to better understand the bush!

 

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