Satellite Tracking of Eight Critically Endangered Vultures Set to Strengthen Conservation in Zambia's Luangwa Valley

Eight critically endangered white-backed vultures have been fitted with solar-powered satellite transmitters in Luambe National Park, in a move set to strengthen conservation efforts and give scientists valuable insight into the health of Zambia's Luangwa ecosystem.

The initiative is delivered through a partnership between the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW), The Peregrine Fund, North Carolina Zoo and Nsanga Conservation. Over the next three to five years, the tags will track the birds' movements between Luambe, Lukusuzi and the wider Luangwa Valley, revealing where they feed, nest and travel, and helping conservationists better understand the threats they face.

Vulture species across Africa face severe extinction risks driven by poisoning, belief-based use, loss of habitat, and collisions with electrical infrastructure. As white-backed vultures are critically endangered, understanding how they move through and use the landscape, and where they breed, allows conservation efforts to focus on the areas that matter most.

Speaking during the exercise, IFAW Zambia country director Moses Nyirenda said: "Vultures are highly endangered and threatened, but at the same time vultures indicate the health of the ecosystem. By studying vultures, we will be able to monitor how wildlife species are able to move across the landscapes and therefore look at ecosystem connectivity."

Corinne Kendall, southern Africa programme director at The Peregrine Fund, said satellite tracking would also help researchers identify the threats facing vultures across the landscape. "African vultures are in a lot of trouble, largely because of pesticide poisoning," she said, adding that the technology would help detect mortality events and pinpoint areas where poisoning occurs.

IFAW field officer Tembwe Lungu said some traditional beliefs associate vultures with the ability to foresee opportunities, driving demand for their heads in rituals thought to bring luck or prosperity. These beliefs are not supported by scientific evidence and have contributed to the continued illegal killing of vultures.

Alongside tagging, the birds' body condition and age were assessed by examining the wings, head and brood patch. Blood samples were also collected and later analysed to determine the birds' sex and to test for high concentrations of lead in their bodies. The entire intervention takes under 20 minutes, after which the vultures are released and soar straight back into the sky.

Healthy ecosystems depend on species being able to move freely across connected landscapes. Through Room to Roam, IFAW is working with partners to help secure the habitats and connectivity that wildlife, including vultures, need to thrive.