BEIJING, Aug. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- Vultures may not be the most appealing birds to look at but they play a crucial role in our ecosystem. They clean the environment by clearing carcasses. Without them, the environment would be uninhabitable. But their numbers are dwindling fast. South African Kerri Wolter is trying to change that. She works tirelessly for the conservation of vultures, treating the wounded and sick before releasing them back into the wild.
These impressive birds help balance out our ecosystem but they’re dying at an alarming rate due to urbanization and loss of habitat. Kerri Wolter and her team are trying to boost their numbers before it’s too late. After hand-rearing a vulture, Kerri decided to devote her life to protecting them, eventually founding Vulpro. It’s the only approved vulture conservation organization in the country and is entirely dedicated to rehabilitating sick and injured vultures and releasing them back into the wild.
But she couldn’t save them without help from like-minded people.
Mlungele Nsikani, Vulpro, said, "Vultures play a pivotal role within our ecosystem.....we need to conserve them because they’re carrying us under their wings."
Kerri and her team regularly receive wounded vultures at the sanctuary, some sick from human poisoning, farming chemicals and others with broken wings caused by electric wires.
Kerri is always researching and pioneering new ways of collecting critical data to understand how to protect vultures in the future. Tracking devices are being placed on captive birds to locate their whereabouts and rescue them when in danger. Another important part of the Vulpro programme is educating children about the importance of conserving vultures.
Kerri and her team work tirelessly to give vultures another chance at life. Since it began, Vulpro has helped 268 at the sanctuary. And up in the air, Kerri is able to join the vultures on their flight to freedom.
(Source: CNTV.cn)
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