Species Use Database

Cape Vulture
Gyps coprotheres

Used for Medicine and hygiene and Ceremony, religious, and ritual expression in South Africa

A. Species

Scientific name: Gyps coprotheres

Common name(s): Cape Vulture

Global IUCN Red List Threat Status: Vulnerable


B. Location of use

Geographic location(s):

  • South Africa

Country/Region:


C. Scale of assessment

Scale of assessment: Individual Site

Name/Details of location: KwaZulu-Natal


D. Timescale of use

Start Year: 2019

End Year: 2020


E. Information about the use

How is the wild species sourced?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat

Type of use: Extractive

Practice of use: Hunting and/or Trapping of live terrestrial and aerial animals

Lethal or non-lethal: Lethal

Does this use involve take/extraction of: The whole entire organism

Purpose(s) of end use: Medicine and hygiene and Ceremony, religious, and ritual expression

Motivation of use: Income generation from trade (individual/household/community) and Traditional/Cultural/Spiritual

Is this use legal or illegal?: Illegal under national law


F. Information about the Users

Which stakeholder(s) does the record primarily focus on?: Local people


G. Information about the sustainability of use

Is there evidence that the use is having an impact on the target species?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an ecological perspective been recorded?: not recorded

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an economic perspective been recorded?: not recorded

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a social perspective been recorded?: not recorded

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a human health perspective been recorded?: not recorded

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an animal health/welfare perspective been recorded?: not recorded


Recommendations provided in the record to maintain or enhance the sustainability of the use of the target species


Record source

Information about the record source: own_res_data_knowledge

Date of publication/issue/production: 2022-01-01T00:00:00+0000

Source Reference(s):

Nomthandazo Samantha Manqele: Aspects of the use of vultures in traditional medicine in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and conservation implications; https://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za/server/api/core/bitstreams/0d5334e7-ab64-4777-87ba-d5a6bdc5d7eb/content

Date of record entry: 2024-08-22


Records from the same source material: