Vultures preyed on for muti

July 26 2007 at 06:16PM

Vultures are being preyed on for their carcasses by traditional medicine practitioners, whose customers believe eating parts from the bird will promote clairvoyance and increase their intelligence.

"It is estimated that 160 vultures a year are sold in eastern South Africa, with some 59 000 consumption events of vulture pieces," the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) said in a statement on Thursday.

In a statement - issued jointly by EWT, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and an independent company, futureWORKS - it said end consumers in the region paid an estimated total R1,2-million for the vulture medicine.

"Vultures are used in southern Africa as traditional medicine by a number of ethnic groups for a wide range of purposes, and recent research has for the first time attempted to quantify the extent of such use.

"Considering the impacts of other factors such as habitat loss, electrocutions, collisions with man-made structures and direct or indirect poisoning, the extent of harvest of vultures for traditional medicine is a threat to the continued survival of a number of species of vultures.

"This ultimately threatens the survival of traditional customs and belief systems which rely on the continued presence and use of vultures," EWT said.

Vulture populations were "declining alarmingly" in southern Africa.

"The endemic Cape Vulture has declined by 60 to 70 percent in the last 15 years in eastern South Africa, and bearded vultures have declined from an estimated 200 breeding pairs to 100 pairs in the same period.

"Recent research... confirms that vultures are used in traditional medicine for a range of purposes, but are commonly believed by users to be most effective for providing clairvoyant powers, foresight and increased intelligence."

EWT said traditional use of vultures was not sustainable, and called for dialogue with all involved in the trade "to find effective and mutually acceptable solutions to this problem". - Sapa

quote:

Originally posted by Kathi:
Vultures preyed on for muti

July 26 2007 at 06:16PM

Vultures are being preyed on for their carcasses by traditional medicine practitioners, whose customers believe eating parts from the bird will promote clairvoyance and increase their intelligence.

No doubt ...

quote:

"to find effective and mutually acceptable solutions to this problem".

Maybe they need to go to the "Hippie Cookbook", under LSD

Keith

If one is so stupid as to believe that eating vulture brains will increase your intelligence, then it is probably true!

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren