How to build a vulture trap

Last month I spent a month in Mbuluzi Game Reserve in Swaziland attempting to build a walk-in trap that will allow me to capture vultures. I want to be able to tag the birds with GPS trackers and ask a host of interesting questions from which a flood of Nature papers will follow.

Step 1 - Clear the area
Step 1 – Clear the area
Step 2 - Create some support for the poles
Step 2 – Create some support for the poles
Step 3 - Erect the frame
Step 3 – Erect the frame
Step 4 - Add the mesh
Step 4 – Add the mesh
Step 5 - bait the area (this sickly Waterbuck had died)
Step 5 – bait the area (this sickly Waterbuck had died)
Step 6 - record everything that comes down
Step 6 – record everything that comes down
Step 7 - play the waiting game (perching African White-backed Vultures)
Step 7 – play the waiting game (perching African White-backed Vultures)

We’ll have to wait for the vultures to get habituated to the area before adding the front to the trap. Once this happens we can proceed. So this is a ‘to be continued’…

Author

Adam Kane: kanead[at]tcd.ie

Photo credit

Adam Kane

 

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