Event information
VulPro is a rehabilitation centre situated just outside of Hartbeespoort dam running weekly educational public tours to share their conservation effort. African vultures face several threats, making their conservation a challenging task.
They have to cope with electrocutions and collisions with electrical structures, poisonings, land-use changes, a decrease in food availability, and exposure to toxicity through veterinary drugs, to list just a few.
While a single poisoned elephant can kill hundreds of vultures, wiping out an entire colony or local population, power line electrocutions and collisions are the most profuse threats to vultures in South Africa.
Non-releasable vultures form part of VulPro’s captive breeding program, where offspring contribute to release studies. The team monitor many of their released birds’ survival and foraging movements through GPS transmitters. These data bring a critical understanding of movement patterns and behaviours e.g. habitats of high use such as breeding and roosting sites.
Do note that the centre is open to the public by appointment only on specified days. The centre works strictly on a cash basis. School tours are offered, community service projects are available on request, and family picnics can be arranged.
