About the Author

Patrick Grealy

Ranger

Patrick was born and raised in Johannesburg and from a young age dreamt about living in the bush. He grew up going on family holidays to Madikwe in the North West where his passion grew. After high school Patrick went to the Eastern ...

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9 Comments

on Vultures of Londolozi

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Though I wouldn’t call them handsome, they are obviously really vital for nature and the circle of life. Otherwise there would be more diseases and lots of stinking carcasses around (well, hyenas also help).
A very interesting article Patrick. Now I should be able to recognize these different vultures on m< next safari.

Hi, once I watched a documentary that showed how carcasses are eaten. After hyenas, vultures are able to eat and digest some parts that even hyenas can’t. Then there come bacteria that finish each barely visible or invisible scraps…

I find vultures fascinating. What an important role they play. We here in Virginia USA have noticed more vultures in the last several years. They are quite aggressive in attacking road kill be it deer or small squirrels.

Interesting creatures! That last shot is incredible!

Hi Patrick, vultures do very good work, the scavengers of the bush. They prevent diseases and recycle nutrients. The lapped faced vultures wing span is so wide and they are huge birds, balancing the ecological system. We must appreciate these vultures more, and know that they clean up the carcass and leave nothing behind.

Patrick, I have always thought of vultures as ugly and creepy birds. They always show up around carcasses and anything dead. However, they are the environments vacuum cleaners and are needed by all. Thanks for the great pictures.

Thanks Patrick for this informative article about the four types of vultures seen in Londolozi. To the untrained eye, and the fact they’re seen high up in trees, it’s difficult to distinguish one from another, let alone recognize the differences. I had thought they all behaved and ate the same way when attacking a carcass. It’s blogs like this that help us understand how every creature has a place and purpose in the environment.

Mother Nature was smart when designing such a robust clean up crew. It was nice to see all the different species and compare their features.

Fascinating post on the four type of vultures, and each group’s unique survival strategies and impacts on the greater ecosystem Patrick!! I really love all of the posts, but am always appreciative when you all blog about the lesser known and discussed creatures of Londolozi. Bravo!!

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