The team at the University of Pretoria’s Veterinary Sciences came up with an innovative solution to help an injured vulture; they gave her a beak transplant – giving her a second chance to thrive!
South Africa (02 June 2023) – A vulture’s life has been saved by giving her a new beak! In what is a first for South Africa, the team gave the injured bird a new beak so she will be able to feed again.
The White-Backed Vulture had been rescued after being hit by a car in March 2023. She mostly recovered from her injuries but her beak was crushed, meaning she would struggle to eat on her own.
The team at the University of Pretoria’s Veterinary Sciences came up with an innovative solution. They had received the carcass of another white-backed vulture and used the intact beak from the deceased bird, to give the living bird a fighting chance!
VulPro, a vulture conservation organisation, shared the exciting news about this innovative procedure.
“In a groundbreaking approach and in collaboration with the University of Pretoria’s faculty of veterinary sciences Dr Katja Koepel, a beak from a deceased white-backed vulture was utilized to assist a patient who had a crushed beak. She was admitted in March following a car accident. The results have been remarkable, showcasing remarkable progress.
Taking a more natural approach, this bird has shown tremendous improvement.”
The need to save as many vultures as possible is high because the varied species in Southern Africa are all at risk. With the first flights of many vultures about to take place, the chances of them getting into some trouble is high.
Collaboration between wildlife rescuers and the public is needed to make sure every vulture is saved. Populations are in a serious decline. According to BirdLife South Africa, three of the eight species found here are listed as “Critically Endangered”, another two are listed as “Endangered”, and one is listed as “Near Threatened”. The other two species are classed as vagrant species, but both are also endangered.
- White-Backed Vulture – Critically Endangered.
- Hooded Vulture – Critically Endangered.
- White-Headed Vulture – Critically Endangered.
- Rüppell’s Vulture (vagrant species) – Critically Endangered.
- Cape Vulture – Endangered.
- Lappet-Faced Vulture – Endangered.
- Egyptian Vulture (vagrant species) – Endangered.
- Bearded Vulture – Near Threatened, but Critically Endangered in parts of South Africa.
It is deeply concerning when an entire type of animal is classed as endangered in some form or another. Sadly, due to the “cuteness” factor, vultures are not given the same considerations as say, the rhino population. Both are equally worth saving, and this is how.
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