Creating Safe Havens Across Expansive Landscapes
Protecting Africa’s vulture populations is no small task. These slow-breeding scavengers travel over enormous distances and are highly susceptible to threats like poisoned carcasses aimed at other wildlife and hazards from expanding infrastructure such as power lines. In response, conservationists have introduced “vulture safe zones” — designated areas meant to shield these birds from the most severe risks. However, turning these zones into fully effective sanctuaries remains a major challenge.
South Africa’s Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, established in 2019 on land owned by the Oppenheimer family, is the continent’s oldest vulture safe zone. Spanning over 114,000 hectares (282,000 acres), it focuses on protecting critically endangered white-backed vultures (white-backed vultureures (lappet-faced vultureulture (white-headed vulture
