Kruger Park says 2025 worst year yet for vulture poisoning

Simon Nare

The Kruger National Park is struggling to understand a rise in vulture poisonings, with officials saying the scale of the incidents has increased, and warning that the losses could undermine conservation gains in one of Africa’s flagship reserves.

Head of rangers Cathy Dreyer told journalists during an excursion at the park this week that the deaths were difficult to explain because vultures offered nothing of material value to poachers, unlike lions, elephants or rhinos.

“We have our own assumptions, but we are still not sure why this is happening,” she said.

Dreyer said 2025 had been the worst year thus far. She said the park had recorded 866 poisoned vultures since 2023, more than any other species. Dreyer said impala were a distant second with 35 cases, followed by Egyptian geese on 33, lions on 30, tawny eagle on 21 and hyenas on 19.

Vultures play a vital