Conserving Malawi’s Vultures

Using satellite technology and Community Enforcement Networks to improve the protection of critical vulture habitats through the identification of breeding clusters, poaching hotspots and poisoning incidences, to inform a long-term Malawi Vulture Conservation Strategy and to support adaptive law enforcement to protect other endangered species including elephants.Malawi’s vulture population is precarious (only 9 nests located in the south and no data on nest in the north). Foraging site connectivity means a single poisoning event could wipe out Malawi's breeding clusters, and the trade in vulture parts is an emerging threat. Our project areas, Nyika National Park and Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve are transfrontier foraging pathways for vultures and hotspots for elephant poaching. The data collected will expand our knowledge on vulture movements, critical sites for their protection, other species threatened by the bushmeat trade (as these are also part of vultures’ prey base) and poaching hotspots. Crucially, this data will enable the development of Malawi’s Vulture Conservation Strategy, outlining actions for their long-term survival. Communities will beneft through a reduction in wildlife crime due to adaptive law enforcement responses, which can indirectly drive the provision of safer environments (fewer external criminals, fewer frearms etc.) The project implements identifed priorities for Malawi in the Convention on Migratory Species Vulture Multi species Action Plan and IUCN’s Vulture Specialist Group aims to expand vulture research to support conservation decisions.