A pair of rehabilitated white-backed vultures take flight with a second chance at a wild future with new GPS tracking tags sponsored by Wild Tomorrow.
This stunning rescued male serval is the first to be released at our reserve with a tracking collar. He will help guide future releases for rehabilitated servals to wild areas.
ALL ANIMAL PROTECTION
At Wild Tomorrow, we not only work to protect the big charismatic species such as elephant and rhino, we also protect the misunderstood species - those that aren’t in the limelight as often, or aren’t quite as well known or loved. Three of our projects working with these special species are detailed below.
Pangolin. Pangolin are sadly the world’s most trafficked animal, disappearing rapidly from the planet across Asia and Africa. We work with two partner reserves to support the pangolin re-introduction program. This includes purchasing GPS tracking tags, telemetry sets and other equipment for field monitors and rangers. We also support rangers who are fighting the illegal wildlife trade which increasingly is targeting pangolins
Vultures. Due to their essential role as scavengers feeding on the carcasses of other animals, vultures are often vilified due to their association with death. All vulture species in our region are now endangered or critically endangered and in urgent need of protection. The biggest issue is vulture poisoning. Two major reasons for the deliberate poisoning of vultures is to delay discovery of poaching attempts, and to harvest their body parts for traditional medicine and magic. We support the conservation and rehabilitation of vultures in our region by sponsoring GPS tracking devices, and working to ensure our Greater Ukuwela Nature Reserve is a vulture safe zone.
Servals. Classified as a Threatened and Protected Species (TOPS) in South Africa, servals face numerous threats due to human activities. By rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing servals, we are mitigating the impact of poaching, the illegal trade, and habitat destruction. Our research program tracks the serval with GPS collars to enable new insights into the habitat preferences of rehabilitated servals once released back into the wild.