Identifying anthropogenic threats to Cape Vultures Gyps coprotheres using community perceptions in communal farmland, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

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dc.contributor.author Pfeiffer, Morgan B.
dc.contributor.author Venter, Jan A.
dc.contributor.author Downs, Colleen T.
dc.date.accessioned 2016-09-13T05:08:18Z
dc.date.available 2016-09-13T05:08:18Z
dc.date.issued 2015-09
dc.description No University of Pretoria affiliation in this article. en_ZA
dc.description.abstract Declines in Old World vulture populations have been linked to anthropogenic pressures. To assess these threats, the social dimensions of vulture conservation must be explored. Prior research in Africa focused on commercial farmers’ perceptions of vultures and identified that small stock farmers used poison more than large stock farmers to deter livestock predators. However, the vulnerable Cape Vulture, Gyps coprotheres, breeds throughout communal farmland in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Consequently, community interviews were conducted within the vultures’ foraging range of the Msikaba Cape Vulture colony, separating regions according to the amount of transformed land. Residents in the least transformed land region perceived the smallest reductions in livestock ownership over the past ten years. While residents of the moderately transformed region perceived the greatest reductions in livestock ownership. Livestock carcasses were reported to be available for vultures at ‘informal vulture restaurants’. Arrangement of livestock carcasses was found to be independent of land use; however type of carcass consumed varied. None of the respondents stated they used poison to eliminate livestock predators. More respondents cited illegal poaching of vultures for traditional medicine as a threat. Despite this pressure, the majority stated that vultures benefited the community. en_ZA
dc.description.department Centre for Wildlife Management en_ZA
dc.description.librarian hb2016 en_ZA
dc.description.sponsorship UKZN and ECPTA. en_ZA
dc.description.uri http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayJournal?jid=BCI en_ZA
dc.identifier.citation MORGAN B. PFEIFFER, JAN A. VENTER and COLLEEN T. DOWNS (2015). Identifying anthropogenic threats to Cape Vultures Gyps coprotheres using community perceptions in communal farmland, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Bird Conservation International, 25, pp 353-365. doi:10.1017/S0959270914000148. en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn 0959-2709 (print)
dc.identifier.issn 1474-0001 (online)
dc.identifier.other 10.1017/S0959270914000148
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/2263/56727
dc.language.iso en en_ZA
dc.publisher Cambridge University Press en_ZA
dc.rights © BirdLife International, 2014 en_ZA
dc.subject Avian scavengers en_ZA
dc.subject Livelihoods en_ZA
dc.subject Land use en_ZA
dc.subject Communal farmland en_ZA
dc.subject Illegal poaching en_ZA
dc.subject Social perception en_ZA
dc.title Identifying anthropogenic threats to Cape Vultures Gyps coprotheres using community perceptions in communal farmland, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa en_ZA
dc.type Postprint Article en_ZA


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