What drew you towards protecting lesser-known African species?
About two decades ago I married a man whose family owned property on the Waterberg Plateau, in central Namibia. It just so happened that the cliffs on the property were home to Namibia’s last surviving Cape griffon vultures, which at the time were the most endangered animal in the country. I began to care for these vultures alongside my daily farming duties, and decided that establishing REST would be the best way to ensure the survival not only of these birds, but other endangered species in Namibia who also fly under the radar of mainstream conservation. We chose the Cape griffon vulture and the rest of the Forgotten Five as we believe they represent biodiversity. Species like these need attention just as much as lions, elephants and all the rest; when we first established REST in 2000, none of our Five were even listed as endangered by CITES. We have to realise that it’s not just the big species that have an effect on ecosystems. Somebody has to care. The REST team act in situ and ex situ – research is a vital tool in understanding these animals and their plight, but we also need to work with the people who share the land with them. Starting with the vultures, we began making farmers aware of how important the birds are to the wider ecosystem. Intrinsically people aren’t going to care about an animal unless they’re told what impact they have. Vultures are the coolest animals ever. For one, they help to stop the spread of disease – there is some groundbreaking post-doctoral research going on right now that points to vultures being immune to anthrax, botulism and rabies. By consuming the infected flesh they neutralise the threat it poses to the environment, which benefits farmers and their livestock. Anthrax is a rising danger in Namibia. Anthrax spores can survive for 100 years in the soil before rains release it into waterways. Vultures can consume an infected hippo in an hour, whereas jackals and hyenas take days. All the while anthrax is seeping out into the environment which can affect local wildlife, livestock, and the human population – one that is already struggling with other issues like HIV.
Next, we all know the image of vultures circling around a dead or dying animal; this behaviour helps hunters who need to finish off a wounded animal, and it also turns vultures into a security asset, alerting authorities to the presence of poachers. These are just some of the examples that show how just one species can have a positive impact on human communities and the natural environment. Many ancient cultures revered the vulture – it even served as the deity of Upper Egypt and is the first animal mentioned in the Bible, as nesher, king of the birds – but in recent times they have garnered a negative reputation. One of our goals at REST is to educate people about the importance of lesser-known species, and it all started with the vultures.