EASTERN CAPE NEWS - A critically endangered lappet-faced vulture chick hatched at Vulpro’s captive breeding facility in the Shamwari Private Game Reserve on 24 September, Heritage Day.

This birth marks a monumental first for Vulpro in a crucial victory in the fight against extinction for one of Africa’s most threatened birds of prey.

This is no ordinary hatchling. 

With only 180 breeding pairs remaining in wild South African populations, every single chick represents hope for a species teetering on the brink. 

What makes this achievement even more extraordinary is that lappet-faced vultures are notoriously difficult to breed in captivity, with only a handful of facilities worldwide managing to produce fertile eggs resulting in captive-bred offspring.

Kerri Wolter, CEO of Vulpro, says: “The numbers are stark. Lappet-faced vultures are among Africa’s most endangered raptors and their breeding challenges make every success story vital. 

These magnificent birds are extremely anxious and sensitive creatures that take considerably longer to form pairs than other vulture species, making Vulpro’s achievement all the more remarkable.”

Instead of Vulpro’s usual practice of releasing captive-bred offspring back to the wild, this precious chick will remain as part of its captive breeding programme to build up captive populations, with the end goal of producing offspring for release in support of the dwindling populations. 

The decision points to the desperate conservation status of the species, with this hatchling destined to play a critical role in building a genetically diverse assurance population.

Vulpro is now calling for unprecedented collaboration with organisations worldwide working with lappet-faced vultures to establish a co-ordinated captive population. 

The ultimate goal remains unchanged: to build sustainable, releasable populations that can strengthen wild numbers.

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