---
title: World's largest translocation and rewilding of vultures aims to halt extinction
description: The Aspinall Foundation translocated 163 disabled vultures within South Africa to help conserve the Cape vulture and the white-backed vulture.
image: https://blog.aspinallfoundation.org/hubfs/2024%20Landing%20pages%20-%20Blogs/Vulture-Translocation---Credit-Wiktoria-West(1)SMALL.jpg
---

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# The Aspinall Foundation

# World's largest translocation and rewilding of vultures aims to halt extinction

Posted by [The Aspinall Foundation](https://blog.aspinallfoundation.org/author/the-aspinall-foundation) on 07-Nov-2024 11:29:33

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We are very happy to share that, thanks to your support, we recently translocated 163 disabled vultures within South Africa to help conserve  
two species under threat - the Cape vulture and the white-backed vulture.

All 163 birds were the victims of conflict with humans, and many had tragically been left flightless. Most of the injuries sustained by the vultures  
were caused by collisions with power lines — a common problem in  
Southern Africa, where over 30% of annual vulture fatalities are caused  
by these collisions.

Other challenges faced by the Cape vulture and the white-backed vulture are habitat loss, poisoning, disturbances at breeding sites, and hunting. This pressure from humans has devastated their population, with numbers plummeting by up to 90% in the last century.

The plight of vultures is sadly overlooked, as conservation groups and charities all-too-often focus only on the most visually appealing and most charismatic animals. We at The Aspinall Foundation believe that every  
single species matters, and with your continued help our team will  
step in to protect any animal in need.

![Vulture-Translocation---Credit-Wiktoria-West(1)SMALL](https://blog.aspinallfoundation.org/hs-fs/hubfs/2024%20Landing%20pages%20-%20Blogs/Vulture-Translocation---Credit-Wiktoria-West(1)SMALL.jpg?width=1300&height=867&name=Vulture-Translocation---Credit-Wiktoria-West(1)SMALL.jpg)

We were informed of the plight of these vultures by VulPro, a non-profit dedicated to saving African vultures, who had rescued and rehabilitated the flock at their world-leading rehabilitation facility at Hartbeespoort in the Northwest Province. However, all 163 birds needed to move over 1,000km away to a new breeding facility VulPro created with Shamwari Private Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape Province.

This truly epic undertaking required a team of the best experts. Working  
with the incredible team at Vulpro, we assembled a team of over 50 people to get the birds ready for the next step in their journey. A local veterinary team ensured the birds’ well-being was prioritised above all else during the meticulously planned operation and DHL offered their expertise to ensure safe transportation. We organised and co-ordinated the entire project,  
including building a transport crate for each bird.

![Vulture Translocation - Credit Wiktoria West (5)](https://blog.aspinallfoundation.org/hs-fs/hubfs/2024%20Landing%20pages%20-%20Blogs/Vulture%20Translocation%20-%20Credit%20Wiktoria%20West%20(5).jpg?width=6971&height=4650&name=Vulture%20Translocation%20-%20Credit%20Wiktoria%20West%20(5).jpg)

This exceptional team took just 2.5 hours to load the birds for their 1,042 km journey. The birds were carefully monitored each step of the way and after 18 hours, they arrived safely at Shamwari Private Game Reserve.

Although these flightless animals can never be safely released into the  
wild, they can live happy, healthy lives in protected areas such as Shamwari. They are able to breed, and the new generation of vultures  
will help to ensure the future of their species. The offspring of the rehabilitated birds will eventually be released into the wild, repopulating  
the severely depleted Eastern Cape Province.

![Vulture Translocation - Credit Wiktoria West](https://blog.aspinallfoundation.org/hs-fs/hubfs/2024%20Landing%20pages%20-%20Blogs/Vulture%20Translocation%20-%20Credit%20Wiktoria%20West.jpg?width=7966&height=5313&name=Vulture%20Translocation%20-%20Credit%20Wiktoria%20West.jpg)

"Consider that a single poisoning act can kill 100 vultures at a time! These 163 birds will breed, and we will release their offspring here and in other parts of Southern Africa.

We are excited to see what the impact of this is going to be. The scale of the translocation also helps to bring much-needed attention to the plight of vultures and their valuable role in the ecosystem."

DERECK MILBURN  
SOUTH AFRICAN PROJECT DIRECTOR

 Topics: [The Aspinall Foundation](https://blog.aspinallfoundation.org/topic/the-aspinall-foundation), [back to the wild](https://blog.aspinallfoundation.org/topic/back-to-the-wild), [south africa](https://blog.aspinallfoundation.org/topic/south-africa), [vulture](https://blog.aspinallfoundation.org/topic/vulture)

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