More Than 1,000 Vultures Found Dead From ‘Catastrophic’ Unknown Cause

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At least 1,000 vultures have been found dead from an unknown cause in Guinea-Bissau.

On Friday, February 28, the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF) reported the mysterious deaths of 648 vultures. This number has since risen substantially, causing grave concern among conservationists.

Conservation experts have warned these deaths could signal a ‘catastrophic blow’ for the conservation of several vulture species that are already at severe risk of extinction.

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The VCF initially suspected poisoning, which is reportedly a common problem within the region. However, poisoning incidents are usually concentrated within one specific area, while these dead vultures were reported throughout several areas, raising further questions.

At the time of writing, experts are unsure what exactly led to these deaths, and cannot yet say whether this event is due to disease or extreme weather.

The deceased vultures were found in different regions of the country. Approximately 300 to 600 were discovered in Bafatá, 400 to 493 in Gabúm, 40 to 96 in Bambadinca, and 23 in Quebo.

The corpses, which were reportedly found in groups, were mostly discovered on the outskirts of towns, with some located further away in nearby fields.

Sadly, the critically endangered Hooded vulture is said to have been especially affected by this mass mortality event, with the species already having suffered a rapid decline due to factors such as the traditional medicine trade and hunting, as well as habitat loss and degradation.

Against a backdrop of significant political instability, those working for veterinarian services, health services and the National Guard were able to collect hundreds of corpses last week, which have since been incinerated to help prevent further contamination.

Some reports state the ‘vultures were bubbling from their beaks while dying’, while others have claimed the birds ‘seemed to search for water’.

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Going forward, the VCF is pushing for more bodies to be collected and frozen, with a representative telling UNILAD that such measures will be ‘absolutely essential’ in figuring out what exactly is going on.

A VCF spokesperson told UNILAD:

The mortality is higher than reported last time: at least 1,000 vultures killed. Until the middle of last week, only one bird had been sampled – one that had been recovered dying. All the other dead vultures picked up by the early teams had been incinerated.

One set of samples is definitely not enough. It is possible that these samples may have deteriorated, and there is always the risk of contamination, so the VCF asked several stakeholders to try to collect and freeze several bodies of dead vultures, even decomposing ones.

It is absolutely essential that there is enough biological material to run analysis if we even hope to find what is killing those vultures.

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Vulture species in Africa have declined dramatically in recent years, with three species listed as ‘Endangered’ and four as ‘Critically Endangered’ within the region.

If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]

Julia Banim

Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.