The Africa Albida Victoria Falls Safari Lodge is continuing its more-than-20-year tradition of feeding local scavenger birds, offering some of the resident endangered species a supplementary food source, as well as allowing conservation experts to monitor the bird numbers in the area, which assists with research.
Every day at 13h00, a guide leads guests and visitors to a hide in front of an open patch of ground, where a collection of white-headed, hooded, lappet-faced and white-backed vultures as well as marabou storks, are already waiting. Leftover meat and scraps from the lodge’s kitchens are then scattered for the scavengers to enjoy.
A number of Southern African species of vulture are vulnerable or endangered. Local resident and guide at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, Aleck Zulu, says this is mostly due to human factors. “Vultures are an early-warning system for poaching in the area. They circle above a carcass so rangers and researchers are taught to track circling vultures to check for possible poaching activities. Because of this, poachers set out poisoned meat to kill the vultures, allowing them to poach with fewer witnesses and natural alarm systems.”
The recent death of a female elephant by cyanide poisoning is one such example.
Zulu has lived in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe his whole life and says with more human development in towns near national parks you can see a decline in bird numbers. “Apart from the poaching, birds will fly into powerlines or telephone wires and sometimes they get stuck in fences. They are often seriously injured or killed in these accidents.”
The ‘Vulture Culture Experience’ provides a supplementary food source for the vultures, with the leftover bones attracting hyenas and other mammal scavengers, says Zulu. Researchers are thus able to monitor the movements of these animals as well, aiding local conservation efforts.
“These birds have bad reputations of being ugly but they are essential to our environment. They clean up the environment. They are also resistant to some diseases found on carcasses, diseases that the vultures are resistant to, diseases that would harm other animals. The vultures finish off the carcass and the disease is gone,” Zulu says.
The daily programme is free to anyone, although visitors are encouraged to leave a donation that will go towards the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust. Booking is not necessary but visitors should arrive at the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge reception before 13h00 to secure their spot.
