A Cape Vulture who was released back into the wild in 2021 is still trackable and has been on quite the quest across the country; giving the team who helped him to freedom, a magnificent insight as to life after release!
Eastern Cape, South Africa (18 October 2024) — One of the most exciting experiences for conservationists is getting to see where animals adventure off to after they are released. Thanks to technology, many released animals are trackable, allowing those who cared for them in rehabilitation to keep up with them until their tracking devices no longer transmit signals.
Thanks to tracking technology, the team at VulPro have been able to follow one of the oldest captive-bred birds that they’ve worked with, a vulture named ‘Grey Black 04’, who has been on quite a quest over the years!
‘Grey Black 04’ was born at the National Zoological Gardens in Pretoria in 2018. Its release came in 2021 at Rookwood in the Eastern Cape thanks to VulPro (the only vulture conservation organisation of its kind) where a new life of exploring, foraging and taking to the skies ensued.
Since then, Grey Black 04 has travelled all over the country and even into Namibia. For the team, Grey Black 04’s adventures are particularly special as this vulture is their longest-tracked bird.
Currently, GreyBlack 04 has been enjoying the Eastern Cape near Komani where it is said to be looking to join a breeding colony!
“Grey Black 04’s journey highlights the success of collaborative conservation, showing how rehabilitation, captive breeding, and release programmes bring us closer to a future where vultures thrive in the wild,” the VulPro team said.
Beyond the thrill of being able to see how far a vulture’s wings take them, being trackable is also essential for future research as it helps conservationists learn more about the animal’s patterns, behaviours and movements.
Other wildlife champions who deal with different species also track their animals, like the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation, which always gives us a dose of good news when they share where their turtles’ travels have taken them.
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