Vultures don't have the best reputation and belong to the so-called "Ugly Five" of the African bush. “We don’t see the vultures very often on safari, so they are still a highlight,” says Captain Redbeard Ranger Alasdair. Today he's talking about a very special species of vulture he has seen a few days ago that brought him into ecstasy.
“There were actually two of them and they were massive … massive!” says Alasdair.
He speaks of a so called “Lapped-faced Vulture” and points his hand up to the level of his hip to show how huge this species of vulture is. It is a very large species, ranking as the longest and largest winged vulture in its range, measuring up to 115 cm in body length, with a wingspan of almost 3 meters.
"We saw the two birds near a waterhole, quite far to the east, as we were heading towards Molatedi Dam," says Alasdair. A typical habitat to stay for this species of vulture. It prefers to live in dry savannah, thornbush, arid plains, deserts with scattered trees in wadis, open mountain slopes.
This species is patchily distributed through much of Africa, however, Alasdair says: "We almost never see it. We are more used to finding other species of vultures, such as Cape vulture, White-backed Vulture or Hooded vulture, but not this one. It almost makes me go crazy when I see it!"
The lappet-faced vulture's world population is believed to have decreased perceptibly, and as of October 2015 their status was updated to “Endangered”.
Alasdair: "We lingered at the dam for a moment. The vultures didn't do much, they basically just sat on the ground. But this sighting was still epic!"
A thank you to Alasdair and Timo for the photos.
Related articles
Life of a Ranger: Bushbuck baby
| Rhulani Safari LodgeDid you know that a bushbuck family has been calling Rhulani home for some time now, and they're regularly having babies, much to the delight of our guests? Rhulani's head guide, Alasdair, introduces ...Rhulani Minute Safari - Steenboks in the high grass
| Rhulani Safari LodgeSteenboks, one of the smallest antelope species, are rarely seen in the high grass, but we spotted them anyway. These animals, who live in monogamous pairs, are protected from predators and find food ...Rhulani bush stories: The lions and the rock monitor
| Rhulani Safari Lodge"The bush always holds new surprises," says Rhulani's head ranger Alasdair, as he was actually looking at the lions and their cubs when he heard a strange hissing. This led to a hilarious encounter be...Rhulani Minute Safari - The hump of the giraffe's neck
| Rhulani Safari LodgeThe “hump” you see at the base of a giraffe’s neck is actually a distinct anatomical feature, not just a random bulge. It essentially acts like a “biological crane support.” It compensates for the eno...Rhulani bush stories: A massive leopard
| Rhulani Safari Lodge"That was a gigantic leopard, the biggest I've ever seen, almost as big as a lion," says Rhulani's field guide Willem, upon seeing this big cat high up on the rock at Ambush Alley, which later reveale...Life of a Ranger: Wild dog killing machine
| Rhulani Safari LodgeDid you know that wild dogs in packs are among the most successful hunters in the African wilderness, tearing their prey to pieces and devouring it whole within minutes? Rhulani's ranger, Willem, show...
