Latest news with #Terbufos
The Citizen
2 days ago
- Health
- The Citizen
Worst mass vulture killing in Mpumalanga Lowveld history: Poisonings spark ecological crisis
Vultures are scavengers that keep the ecosystem healthy by consuming carcasses and preventing diseases from spreading. Without them the human population could be in danger. A mass poisoning that took place on May 6 in the Lionspruit Reserve next to Marloth Park is the worst mass killing of vultures in the history of the Lowveld with authorities looking at a possible syndicate responsible for the killings. SANParks rangers, VulPro and the Wild and Free Rehabilitation Centre attended the horrific scene where over 100 vultures died. 'To lose to this number of vultures – let alone adult breeding birds during breeding season – is an ecological crisis,' Kerri Wolter, CEO of Vulpro, stated. The birth of 'The Vulture Ops' VulPro and Wild and Free have joined forces to combat this issue and call the new organisation The Vulture Ops. They conduct regular meetings and operate in smaller teams to facilitate quicker response times when alerted about poisonings. ALSO READ: GRAPHIC CONTENT: Catastrophic vulture poisoning incident near Marloth Park The team collected samples from poisoned carcasses for testing to learn more about the poison and its harmful effect on these bird that are known for having strong digestive systems. Vultures can digest anything from bones to deadly bacteria like TB, anthrax, and the rabies virus that all occur naturally in carcasses. Hopes that investigation will shed light on killings 'The SAPS are investigating and might be able to enlighten us soon,' Laura Mukwevho, a SANParks media relations practitioner, commented. Mukwevho explained that they plan to prevent future attacks by initiating proactive intelligence gathering, intensive deployment of technology, and implementing manpower to hotspots to speed up response time to incidents. No arrests have been made so far and SAPS continues to look for the culprits and a possible syndicate that could be behind these operations. Co-ordinated strikes using illegal substance 'It appears there's a syndicate targeting vultures to eliminate these biological indicators. We're losing hundreds of birds in co-ordinated strikes. This isn't random, it's strategic,' said toxicologist, Dr Gerhard Verdoorn. ALSO READ: GRAPHIC CONTENT: More than 100 vultures killed in Kruger National Park Verdoorn, the director of the Griffon Poison Information Centre, suspects the illegal substance used in the poisoning could be Aldicarb and/or Terbufos. Terbufos is the toxin that caused the death of six children after they consumed snacks from a spaza shop in Soweto recently. Wildlife and humans at risk if vultures go extinct In addition to cleaning carcasses, vultures act as aerial alarms in the fight against poaching. Without them, humans and wildlife would be more prone to severe illness and we would see a significant rise in extinctions. 'When carcasses remain exposed to the environment for weeks, it results in a build-up of harmful diseases and bacteria such as anthrax, botulism and rabies, which not only negatively affect our wildlife, but humans too. Should vultures go extinct, wildlife and humans will be vulnerable to disease outbreaks from carcasses,' Mukwevho said. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
3 days ago
- Health
- The Citizen
Mass vulture poisonings spark ecological crisis in the Lowveld
Vultures are scavengers that keep the ecosystem healthy by consuming carcasses and preventing diseases from spreading. Without them the human population could be in danger. A mass poisoning that took place on May 6 in the Lionspruit Reserve next to Marloth Park is the worst mass killing of vultures in the history of the Lowveld. SANParks rangers, VulPro and the Wild and Free Rehabilitation Centre attended the horrific scene where over 100 vultures died. 'To lose to this number of vultures – let alone adult breeding birds during breeding season – is an ecological crisis,' Kerri Wolter, CEO of Vulpro, stated. VulPro and Wild and Free Rehabilitation Centre have joined forces to combat this issue and call the new organisation The Vulture Ops. They conduct regular meetings and operate in smaller teams to facilitate quicker response times when alerted about poisonings. ALSO READ: GRAPHIC CONTENT: Catastrophic vulture poisoning incident near Marloth Park The team collected samples from poisoned carcasses for testing to learn more about the poison and its harmful effect on these bird that are known for having strong digestive systems. Vultures can digest anything from bones to deadly bacteria like TB, anthrax, and the rabies virus that all occur naturally in carcasses. 'The SAPS are investigating and might be able to enlighten us soon,' Laura Mukwevho, a SANParks media relations practitioner, commented. Mukwevho further explained that they plan to prevent future attacks by initiating proactive intelligence gathering, intensive deployment of technology, and implementing manpower to hotspots to speed up response time to incidents. No arrests have been made so far and SAPS continues to look for the culprits and a possible syndicate that could be behind these operations. 'It appears there's a syndicate targeting vultures to eliminate these biological indicators. We're losing hundreds of birds in co-ordinated strikes. This isn't random, it's strategic,' said toxicologist, Dr Gerhard Verdoorn. ALSO READ: GRAPHIC CONTENT: More than 100 vultures killed in Kruger National Park Verdoorn, the director of the Griffon Poison Information Centre, suspects the illegal substance used in the poisoning could be Aldicarb and/or Terbufos. Terbufos is the toxin that caused the death of six children after they consumed snacks from a spaza shop in Soweto recently. In addition to cleaning carcasses, vultures act as aerial alarms in the fight against poaching. Without them, humans and wildlife would be more prone to severe illness and we would see a significant rise in extinctions. 'When carcasses remain exposed to the environment for weeks, it results in a build-up of harmful diseases and bacteria such as anthrax, botulism and rabies, which not only negatively affect our wildlife, but humans too. Should vultures go extinct, wildlife and humans will be vulnerable to disease outbreaks from carcasses,' Mukwevho said. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The South African
17-05-2025
- Health
- The South African
Police bust sellers of expired goods
On 17 May 2025, The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) Priority Committee on Food borne Illness and Illicit Trade set up operations in Pretoria West. They visited multiple warehouses to inspect whether any illicit sale of expired consumable goods was taking place. The multi-disciplinary NATJOINTS team comprised of members of the South African Police Service and Department of Home Affairs officials. Labour inspectors, municipal health inspectors, Tshwane Emergency Management Services and Crime Prevention Wardens were also part of the operation. 'The operation led to the arrest of twelve suspects for contravention of the Immigration Act. Two business owners were fined for employing these undocumented foreign nationals', said SAPS spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk. During the operation, municipal health inspectors identified warehouses that were in contravention of health and safety regulations. 'The team closed down four warehouses and seized a large consignment of illicit goods and expired consumables', said van Wyk. According to van Wyk, fines and notices were also issued to the owners of the warehouses. They were for non-compliance of health and safety regulations. In 2024, more than 23 children of primary school-going age died after consuming snacks and food they had bought at local spaza shops. Many others were hospitalised, also from food poisoning related illnesses. The deaths caused national outcry and the Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, identified Terbufos (an organophosphate) as the cause of death. According to a report by the Health Department, Terbufos is normally used by farmers as a soil insecticide. They use it to control various pests in crops like corn, sorghum, and sugar beets. The insecticide mostly kills soil insects such as corn rootworm, wireworms, and white grubs. Spaza shops were also on the receiving end of public scrutiny, as many claimed the deaths were as a result of the sale of expired and poisoned goods. van Wyk said SAPS are doing their best to keep citizens safe and avoid what happened last year. She urged South African's to also play their part. 'SAPS encourages all community members to form part of the fight against food borne illness and illicit trade by reporting suspected non-compliance to relevant authorities', said van Wyk. She said the operation that took place in Pretoria today, is part of an ongoing multi-disciplinary law enforcement operation. She said police are pouncing at various places across the country daily. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
