During my visit to the South African National Game Reserve, I chanced upon an amazing sight; a group of about fifty vultures on the side of the road -- and as my car approached, they flew up to go perch on the branches of several trees on the other side of the road. That in itself was not so extraordinary, but what was quite exceptional was that there were at least five different kinds of vultures in this large group. I was able to identify the wite-backed Cape vulture, the hooded vulture, the bearded vulture, the Egyptian vulture with its long thin beak and the beautiful lappet-faced vulture. What they were doing on the ground next to the road I am not sure -- there was no carcass that I could see --- nor that they were all together like that, but it was a wonderful sight!
It was therefore with great sadness that I read that the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), that regularly publishes a Red List which reports on vanishing and vanished species, reported in its latest update on mammals that we are in danger of losing almost one species in four worldwide (1,141 of the 5,487 on earth). Since 1500, the world has lost at least 76 mammals,
(Photo credit: Paul Gale) not to mention the losses of insects, fish, or birds.
On the positive side, there is evidence that where conservation measures are put in place improvement follows and that 5% of species on the ‘threatened’ list are currently showing an upswing in their numbers.
France and its overseas territories are home to an enormous wealth of flora and fauna, including the griffon vulture, the European viper, orchids, red coral and clownfish. Mainland France can boast one of the world’s smallest mammals, the pygmy shrew, which could sit on the end of your finger, and weighs between 1.2 and 2.7g.You may never see it but a walk in the Pyrénées can reward you with a sighting of the griffon vulture, a fabulous bird whose survival is threatened by a ruling spurred by worries about BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy): no carcasses may now be left on fields, and this has massively reduced the vulture’s food sources.
France Nature’s suggestions for saving species
• Get to know the wildlife of your area
• Strive to protect the viability of populations of animal and plant species
• Take care that ecosystems can function, keeping corridors open between natural areas
• Act against invasive species and international trade in animals and plants
And I suggest that we canvas for 'vulture restaurants, in the Pyrenees and other European mountain ranges. This system of putting out carcasses for the vultures has been hugely successful in Southern Africa and certain species of vultures that were almost extinct have been saved and are breeding again in safe numbers.
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