Blouberg Nature Reserve, Limpopo – July 2025
An education initiative led by vulture conservation organisation Vulpro is showing promising signs of success in curbing the illegal killing of vultures for traditional medicine practices around Blouberg Nature Reserve in Limpopo. The reserve hosts South Africa’s largest breeding colony of Cape Vultures, a species under severe threat.
Feature image: Phillipine Makhubela, Vulpro’s school outreach leader, in action.
Through a programme called VulCha (Vulture Champions), Vulpro has been engaging with local schools, traditional healers, and community members to raise awareness about the ecological importance of vultures and the consequences of their decline. The initiative forms part of the Pan African Conservation Education (PACE) programme, supported by the Tusk Trust, and is active in South Africa, Nigeria and Botswana.
Traditional beliefs surrounding vultures remain widespread in parts of South Africa, where an estimated 160 vultures are sold each year for muthi. Body parts such as claws, bones, skulls, kidneys, and skin are believed to confer foresight, mental clarity, and good fortune — particularly in gambling, business, and school performance. Various vulture species are targeted, often indiscriminately.
Recent increases in community tip-offs about suspected poaching in the area are being viewed as early evidence of the programme’s effectiveness. According to Vulpro’s General Manager, Alistair Sinclair, “Doing something one way your entire life just because your parents and grandparents did it, doesn’t mean it’s the only way, or the right way.”
Relatable Analogies
To illustrate this point during community engagements, Vulpro uses relatable analogies. “We ask community members if they’d be willing to give up their mobile phones and revert back to letter writing to communicate with their friends because that is what their parents and grandparents used to do. Their answer is always no,” Sinclair explains. “This then gives us the opportunity to discuss whether killing vultures is still a good idea… It’s an analogy that appears to be working and with the increase in tip-offs we are beginning to see the fruits of our labour.”
Poisoning is the most commonly used method in these killings, often resulting in the death of multiple birds in a single event. Vulpro estimates there are over 1,200 individuals involved in the trade in eastern South Africa alone.
Education, particularly among the youth, is seen as critical to halting this trend. Vulpro has rolled out its VulCha programme to several schools near the reserve, including Marumafase Secondary, Biokotso Primary, Maphuta High, Kgobokang Primary, Boikhutso Primary, Ntsose Secondary, and Maromofase High School.
Phillipine Makhubela, who leads Vulpro’s school outreach efforts, is a conservation graduate from Tshwane University of Technology. “My mission is to raise awareness, educate the public and actively contribute to the safeguarding of our natural world for future generations,” she says.
Between March and May this year, Makhubela reached more than 900 learners, forming student committees to act as vulture conservation ambassadors in their communities.
Learners considering conservation careers
At Marumofase High School, the programme has had a visible impact. “We are fortunate to have Phillipine as our Vulpro coordinator. She has played a key role in changing how learners perceive vultures,” says teacher Miss Sekele. “Inspired by her, some learners are now even considering careers in environmental conservation. Learners are even coming forward to report vulture sightings and agreed to stop hunting them.”
In parallel, Vulpro is building relationships with sangomas and traditional healers, offering information on sustainable alternatives to vulture-based remedies while respecting cultural beliefs. Education efforts also extend to farmers and hunters, with outreach around the dangers of lead bullets, chemical dips, traps and unprotected reservoirs.
The Blouberg colony is a vital breeding site for the Cape Vulture, which nests on the area’s steep cliffs between April and October. “Our education initiative represents a paradigm shift in vulture conservation,” says Vulpro CEO Kerri Wolter. “We’ve chosen to work hand-in-hand with local communities to address the root causes of vulture persecution.”
“This is just the beginning,” Wolter adds. “Every community we reach, every mind we change, represents hope for the future of Cape Vultures.”
More information: www.vulpro.com
