The death toll is rising as conservationists in the Waterberg region have discovered at least ten recently deceased Cape vultures beneath Eskom powerlines on private land, an estimated 500 meters from the largest breeding colony in the area. This alarming discovery follows two devastating mass poisonings earlier in May this year, underscoring a growing crisis for these endangered birds and demanding urgent accountability from the national power utility and those responsible for these tragedies. A local farm worker estimated the number could be 100 or even more vultures being electrocuted here over the past decade.
On 6 May, rangers and the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) investigated a remote elephant carcass in Kruger’s Mahlangeni section. The carcass had been intentionally laced with lethal agrochemicals, killing 123 vultures (including 102 critically endangered White‑backed vultures, 20 vulnerable Cape vultures, and one endangered Lappet‑faced vulture). A historic rescue saved 84 more; some rescued birds died in treatment. This incident is among the largest bird poisonings ever recorded in South Africa.
Less than two weeks later, on 18 May, a second atrocity hit Lionspruit Game Reserve near Marloth Park, Mpumalanga. Poisons in a warthog carcass resulted in 102 vulture deaths – 92 White‑backed, nine Hooded, and a rare White‑headed vulture. GPS tracking revealed the incident and it was found that 90 per cent of White‑backed victims were breeding adults, critically undermining the species’ reproductive potential.
The timing could not be worse. May is peak breeding season for African vultures, during which each pair lays only one egg annually. Losing adult birds in this critical window significantly reduces chick survival next season, since immature replacements cannot sufficiently compensate for the losses.
Why Breeding Adults Matter: Biology and Ecological Role of Cape Vultures
The Cape vulture (Gyps coprotheres) is listed as Vulnerable and has an Estimated Population of just 9 600 to 12 800 mature individuals. These cliff‑dwelling birds produce a single offspring each year. Juveniles remain dependent on their parents for over 100 days after hatching, and adults typically return to their natal cliffs to breed .
Adults represent the backbone of vulture population stability. Without them, colonies collapse. Immature birds disperse unpredictably, young birds experience up to 10 percent mortality annually, and poor breeding success deepens the decline .
Removing breeding adults during incubation leaves eggs unattended, exposing them to predation and temperature extremes. Even when chicks hatch, they rely on adults for food and development over months. The loss of a few dozen adults can eliminate an entire season’s reproductive output from a colony.
As obligate scavengers, vultures digest carcasses within hours, suppressing anthrax, rabies, botulism and other deadly diseases. Economic assessments suggest their ecosystem services in southern Africa far exceed US $1 billion per year. The removal of breeding adults from the system can thus trigger cascading effects on both biodiversity and public health.
Waterberg Electrocutions: Eskom's Neglected Danger
The recent discovery of Cape Vulture remains in Waterberg marks another predator bird mortality hotspot in the region. In contrast to poisoning incidents, these vultures died from collisions with Eskom’s overhead powerlines, leaving their carcasses exposed to scavengers such as jackals. The location lies just 500 meters from Cape vulture breeding cliffs, making it a high-risk zone.
Between July 2015 and May 2016, a vulture conservationist alerted Eskom that the Thaba SABC line between poles 214 and 220 was a “known hotspot” for Vulture fatalities. Reports recommended urgently converting the dangerous wishbone structures into bird‑safe inverted T‑poles, installing diverters, and clearing cut earth wires. Eskom never responded satisfactorily, despite repeated warnings.
A decade later, vultures continue to die at this exact site.
(edit: eye witness account added)
*A local vet was called to the scene and interviewed the farm employee, who has worked on the property bordering the Kransberg vulture colony for nearly a decade. As part of his duties maintaining fences and checking electrical lines, he regularly encounters dead vultures beneath the same Eskom pole, year after year.
“Every year, when I go to check the lines, I find them,” he told us. “When the vultures fly from the mountain, they land near the powerline. That electricity kills them. Then, when other vultures see one hanging there, they come to sit on it, and that one also gets shocked. Sometimes you walk there and find their bodies burned on the ground, fried. More than 30 to 40 vultures have died just at this one pole. There are others, too. I’ve seen maybe 80 to 100 vultures die here over the years. Nine years is a long time. Every year, I find more.”
His account independently corroborates reports submitted by conservationists between 2014 and 2016 identifying the same infrastructure as a persistent threat. Despite years of evidence and formal communication with Eskom’s environmental compliance team, the dangerous poles remain in operation with no visible mitigation.
The frequency and scale of the mortalities described by the witness suggest that the official death toll may be significantly underestimated, and that the risk to the region’s vultures is far more severe than previously documented.*
The Waterberg electrocutions are not the result of an accident, sabotage, negligence by landowners, or unavoidable natural hazards. They are the result of Eskom’s failure to follow through on known mitigation measures. Eskom’s unwillingness to act on clear, longstanding advice violates South Africa’s National Environmental Management Act (1998), which mandates environmental protection. Eskom’s failure to address known hazards directly endangers protected species and exposes the utility to potential legal action. Vulpro has been notified about this incident.
A Call to Action: Invest in the Future of Conservation
In response to the growing crisis, conservation leaders are calling for the establishment of a dedicated endangered species and vulture rescue, rehabilitation, and research facility in the heart of the Waterberg Biosphere, a UNESCO Heritage Site. The proposed centre would be located adjacent to Marakele National Park, directly connected to the Kransberg colony. The site is part of a newly declared conservancy and offers unparalleled access to both wild populations and the surrounding ecosystem.
The proposed Waterberg Wildlife and Vulture Centre would include on-site veterinary facilities, a rehabilitation aviary for poisoned and electrocuted birds, research labs, community training programs, eco-tourism destination and an education hub for visitors and schools. Crucially, it would serve as a rapid-response base for mass poisoning events, allowing specialists to reach remote carcasses faster and improve survival outcomes.
This is more than a conservation project. It is a critical line of defense in a growing national emergency.
An initial investments are needed to build the infrastructure, staff the operations and cover operational costs. Long-term funding will support emergency response missions, research, Marakele National Park vet costs, anti-poisoning efforts, local employment and community upliftment, public engagement and education programmes, creating overall awareness of issues on our doorstep.
Private funders, conservation NGOs, corporate partners, and international donors are being called upon to act now. This is not a theoretical risk. It is already happening and this is a critically needed investment.
Hundreds of vultures are dying. Eskom has ignored years of evidence. If South Africa does not act now, it could lose its remaining strongholds for several endangered species.
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Dr Wilhelm Schack – Eco Group Africa (EGA)
Wildlife Veterinarian/Ecologist
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