A n adult white-backed vulture has travelled almost 1550 kilometres away from where it was first tagged eight years ago. Last month, farmers in the Wakkerstroom area found the vulture lying in the road. Andrè Botha, manager of the Birds of Prey Programme...
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A n adult white-backed vulture has travelled almost 1550 kilometres away from where it was first tagged eight years ago. Last month, farmers in the Wakkerstroom area found the vulture lying in the road. Andrè Botha, manager of the Birds of Prey Programme for the Endangered Wildlife Trust, was immediately contacted. He then contacted Ben Hoffman, who runs the Raptor Rescue facility in Pietermaritzburg. The vulture will be taken to Mr Hoffman soon. However, in the interim, Newcastle’s own ‘Bird Lady’, Sylva Fancis, has taken the old guy under her wing. “Glenn Ramke contacted me on Monday. She runs the Crane Sanctuary in Wakkerstroom,” said Mrs Francis. “When she told me about the vulture, I was so excited. These vultures are not at all native to our area.” The white-backed vulture is a typical vulture, with only down feathers on the head and neck. They have very broad wings and short tail feathers. Interestingly, the white-backed vulture breeds in trees on the savannahs of West and East
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