Overview

• At least 123 vultures, including critically endangered species, died after feeding on a poisoned elephant carcass in South Africa's Kruger National Park.
• Another 83 vultures were rescued and are receiving treatment, though conservationists warn more unaccounted birds may be affected during the breeding season.
• The elephant carcass was deliberately laced with agricultural pesticides by poachers seeking to harvest its body parts for the illegal wildlife trade.
• Vultures, vital for ecosystem health as natural scavengers, are exceptionally vulnerable to poisoning due to their reliance on carcasses for food.
• The poisoning highlights a growing regional crisis of pesticide-based poaching, which threatens wildlife populations and disrupts ecological balance.