Rescue teams work through night after second mass poisoning of Kruger Park vultures in days

One of the biggest wildlife rescue operations took place in the Kruger National Park this week when scores of environmental organisations, conservationists and vets joined forces to rescue as many poisoned birds as possible. 

The incident, described as a national wildlife tragedy, was a mass poisoning event detected early on Tuesday by the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s (EWT) pioneering wildlife poisoning surveillance and detection system, which triggered an alert at 6.05am when suspicious activity was flagged in a remote section of the park.

Numerous teams were mobilised and arrived on site in little more than two hours to find an elephant carcass laced with toxic pesticides — poison laid by poachers to harvest body parts for the illegal wildlife trade. 

This led to the most extensive co-ordinated response effort and rescues to date. More than 20 individuals across conservation, veterinary, and enforcement sectors played a role in the rescue and response. 

SANParks spokesperson JP Louw said six SANParks rangers and two EWT officials were the initial responders who found a mass of dead vultures on the scene, along with hordes of others that were poisoned and sick. All were within about 500m of the carcass.

They were quickly joined by deployed reinforcements in the form of support teams from the Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, Briner Veterinary Services and Wildscapes Veterinary Services.

What followed was one of the biggest, most high intensity co-ordinated efforts in Kruger Park history as ranger aerial support and the Hope for Wildlife helicopter joined the efforts. 

The teams arrived to find 116 dead vultures, with another seven dying before they could be helped. In total 102 White-backed vultures, 20 Cape vultures and one Lappet-faced vulture — all listed as endangered or critically endangered species — died. 

Rescue teams set to work to rescue the many other poisoned birds encountered on the scene. Using emergency vulture first aid, they hooked the birds up to drips, pumping them with fluid therapy, atropine and activated charcoal. 

They managed to rescue 84 vultures — including White-backed, Cape and Hooded vultures.

The EWT vulture ambulance transported 45 birds to treatment facilities, while another 39 were airlifted by chopper to the SANParks K9 facility in Phalaborwa. Late on Tuesday night a final group was taken through to Moholoholo for continued intensive care. 

Rescue workers toiled through the night to stabilise the birds and keep them alive. During the night one of the birds died, leaving 83 still alive and recovering on Thursday morning.

Louw said the incident was part of a broader crisis unfolding across Southern Africa in which wildlife poachers have increasingly taken to using agricultural toxins to target high-value species — not just vultures, but also lions, whose body parts are in growing demand for traditional medicine or muti. 

This incident was the second in five days. Last Friday 49 vultures died after feasting off a poisoned giraffe carcass on Mooiplaas in Kruger. 

A conservationist, who asked not to be identified because of sensitivities and protocols in the industry, said several wildlife organisations were being hampered as their international funding had recently been suspended under US President Donald Trump's presidency.

He said little is known about what is fuelling and motivating the poisonings, and more work is needed to capture offenders and track whoever is behind them. 

The poisons used are believed to be the powder pesticide Temik, also known as Two-Step because of the speed at which it kills. While it is relatively cheap and easy to get hold of, it is controlled and buyers need to be registered. However, once it has been bought by a farmer, it is often no longer strictly controlled and can be pilfered. Only a small amount is needed for a big kill.

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