A conservation criminology-based desk assessment of vulture poisoning in the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area
Vulture declines are uniquely problematic for socio-ecological systems because they are nature’s most important scavengers. Intentional and unintentional poisoning, human-wildlife conflict, energy infrastructure, belief-based use, and illegal hunting activities remain threats to vulture populations...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2020-09-01
|
| Series: | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989419304378 |
| _version_ | 1819226778281967616 |
|---|---|
| author | Meredith L. Gore Annette Hübschle André J. Botha Brent M. Coverdale Rebecca Garbett Reginal M. Harrell Sonja Krüeger Jennifer M. Mullinax Lars J. Olson Mary Ann Ottinger Hanneline Smit Robinson L. Jen Shaffer Lindy J. Thompson Linda van den Heever William W. Bowerman |
| author_facet | Meredith L. Gore Annette Hübschle André J. Botha Brent M. Coverdale Rebecca Garbett Reginal M. Harrell Sonja Krüeger Jennifer M. Mullinax Lars J. Olson Mary Ann Ottinger Hanneline Smit Robinson L. Jen Shaffer Lindy J. Thompson Linda van den Heever William W. Bowerman |
| author_sort | Meredith L. Gore |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Vulture declines are uniquely problematic for socio-ecological systems because they are nature’s most important scavengers. Intentional and unintentional poisoning, human-wildlife conflict, energy infrastructure, belief-based use, and illegal hunting activities remain threats to vulture populations across Africa. Conservation stakeholders have identified evidence that a number of vulture species in particular ecosystems are being systematically targeted by poisoning with potentially significant effects on human, wildlife, and ecosystem health. We explored the extent to which an interdisciplinary, expert team-based approach linking conservation and criminology could help inform efforts to prevent poisoning of Africa’s vultures. We used the case of illegal vulture poisoning and conservation in the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (GLTFCA), a known poisoning site, as an exemplar. We used an interdisciplinary framework, conservation criminology, to guide a desk assessment of how the local environment may create opportunities for illegal poisoning. Our assessment was conducted as a science team and included multiple iterations and structured discourse. The assessment identifies different elements of vulture poisoning and the opportunity factors that can both underly the problem and inform prevention strategies and tactics. We discuss controlling tools and weapons, extending local guardianship, denying benefits, reducing frustration and stress, and assisting compliance to help prevent illegal poisoning. Results provide insights into harm prevention using evidence-based theory and illustrate the positive potential of interdisciplinary team science for vulture conservation. With additional application, monitoring and evaluation, strategies and tactics explored in this desk assessment may be revised and implemented and portend other benefits for vulture conservation beyond poisoning; the spread of beneficial influence could be a welcome force multiplier for this important scavenger guild. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T10:30:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2367b0ceee9a4fbd92fab1568e4b1293 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2351-9894 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T10:30:54Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| spelling | doaj.art-2367b0ceee9a4fbd92fab1568e4b12932022-12-21T17:50:25ZengElsevierGlobal Ecology and Conservation2351-98942020-09-0123A conservation criminology-based desk assessment of vulture poisoning in the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation AreaMeredith L. Gore0Annette Hübschle1André J. Botha2Brent M. Coverdale3Rebecca Garbett4Reginal M. Harrell5Sonja Krüeger6Jennifer M. Mullinax7Lars J. Olson8Mary Ann Ottinger9Hanneline Smit Robinson10L. Jen Shaffer11Lindy J. Thompson12Linda van den Heever13William W. Bowerman14Conservation Services, Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife P.O. Box 13053, Cascades, 3201, South Africa; Corresponding author.Global Risk Governance Programme, University of Cape Town and South African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape Town, South AfricaVultures for Africa Programme, Endangered Wildlife Trust, Midrand, South AfricaConservation Services, Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife P.O. Box 13053, Cascades, 3201, South AfricaBirdLife International, Volker’s Gardens, Terrace Close, Westlands 00800, Nairobi, KenyaDepartment of Environmental Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USAConservation Services, Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife P.O. Box 13053, Cascades, 3201, South AfricaDepartment of Environmental Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USADepartment of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USADepartment of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USABirdLife South Africa, Gauteng, South AfricaDepartment of Anthropology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USACenter for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa; Birds of Prey Programme, Endangered Wildlife Trust, Midrand, South AfricaBirdLife South Africa, Gauteng, South AfricaDepartment of Environmental Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USAVulture declines are uniquely problematic for socio-ecological systems because they are nature’s most important scavengers. Intentional and unintentional poisoning, human-wildlife conflict, energy infrastructure, belief-based use, and illegal hunting activities remain threats to vulture populations across Africa. Conservation stakeholders have identified evidence that a number of vulture species in particular ecosystems are being systematically targeted by poisoning with potentially significant effects on human, wildlife, and ecosystem health. We explored the extent to which an interdisciplinary, expert team-based approach linking conservation and criminology could help inform efforts to prevent poisoning of Africa’s vultures. We used the case of illegal vulture poisoning and conservation in the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (GLTFCA), a known poisoning site, as an exemplar. We used an interdisciplinary framework, conservation criminology, to guide a desk assessment of how the local environment may create opportunities for illegal poisoning. Our assessment was conducted as a science team and included multiple iterations and structured discourse. The assessment identifies different elements of vulture poisoning and the opportunity factors that can both underly the problem and inform prevention strategies and tactics. We discuss controlling tools and weapons, extending local guardianship, denying benefits, reducing frustration and stress, and assisting compliance to help prevent illegal poisoning. Results provide insights into harm prevention using evidence-based theory and illustrate the positive potential of interdisciplinary team science for vulture conservation. With additional application, monitoring and evaluation, strategies and tactics explored in this desk assessment may be revised and implemented and portend other benefits for vulture conservation beyond poisoning; the spread of beneficial influence could be a welcome force multiplier for this important scavenger guild.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989419304378Community-based conservationElephantsIvoryHuman-wildlife conflictLionsScavengers |
| spellingShingle | Meredith L. Gore Annette Hübschle André J. Botha Brent M. Coverdale Rebecca Garbett Reginal M. Harrell Sonja Krüeger Jennifer M. Mullinax Lars J. Olson Mary Ann Ottinger Hanneline Smit Robinson L. Jen Shaffer Lindy J. Thompson Linda van den Heever William W. Bowerman A conservation criminology-based desk assessment of vulture poisoning in the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area Global Ecology and Conservation Community-based conservation Elephants Ivory Human-wildlife conflict Lions Scavengers |
| title | A conservation criminology-based desk assessment of vulture poisoning in the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area |
| title_full | A conservation criminology-based desk assessment of vulture poisoning in the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area |
| title_fullStr | A conservation criminology-based desk assessment of vulture poisoning in the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area |
| title_full_unstemmed | A conservation criminology-based desk assessment of vulture poisoning in the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area |
| title_short | A conservation criminology-based desk assessment of vulture poisoning in the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area |
| title_sort | conservation criminology based desk assessment of vulture poisoning in the great limpopo transfrontier conservation area |
| topic | Community-based conservation Elephants Ivory Human-wildlife conflict Lions Scavengers |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989419304378 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT meredithlgore aconservationcriminologybaseddeskassessmentofvulturepoisoninginthegreatlimpopotransfrontierconservationarea AT annettehubschle aconservationcriminologybaseddeskassessmentofvulturepoisoninginthegreatlimpopotransfrontierconservationarea AT andrejbotha aconservationcriminologybaseddeskassessmentofvulturepoisoninginthegreatlimpopotransfrontierconservationarea AT brentmcoverdale aconservationcriminologybaseddeskassessmentofvulturepoisoninginthegreatlimpopotransfrontierconservationarea AT rebeccagarbett aconservationcriminologybaseddeskassessmentofvulturepoisoninginthegreatlimpopotransfrontierconservationarea AT reginalmharrell aconservationcriminologybaseddeskassessmentofvulturepoisoninginthegreatlimpopotransfrontierconservationarea AT sonjakrueger aconservationcriminologybaseddeskassessmentofvulturepoisoninginthegreatlimpopotransfrontierconservationarea AT jennifermmullinax aconservationcriminologybaseddeskassessmentofvulturepoisoninginthegreatlimpopotransfrontierconservationarea AT larsjolson aconservationcriminologybaseddeskassessmentofvulturepoisoninginthegreatlimpopotransfrontierconservationarea AT maryannottinger aconservationcriminologybaseddeskassessmentofvulturepoisoninginthegreatlimpopotransfrontierconservationarea AT hannelinesmitrobinson aconservationcriminologybaseddeskassessmentofvulturepoisoninginthegreatlimpopotransfrontierconservationarea AT ljenshaffer aconservationcriminologybaseddeskassessmentofvulturepoisoninginthegreatlimpopotransfrontierconservationarea AT lindyjthompson aconservationcriminologybaseddeskassessmentofvulturepoisoninginthegreatlimpopotransfrontierconservationarea AT lindavandenheever aconservationcriminologybaseddeskassessmentofvulturepoisoninginthegreatlimpopotransfrontierconservationarea AT williamwbowerman aconservationcriminologybaseddeskassessmentofvulturepoisoninginthegreatlimpopotransfrontierconservationarea AT meredithlgore conservationcriminologybaseddeskassessmentofvulturepoisoninginthegreatlimpopotransfrontierconservationarea AT annettehubschle conservationcriminologybaseddeskassessmentofvulturepoisoninginthegreatlimpopotransfrontierconservationarea AT andrejbotha conservationcriminologybaseddeskassessmentofvulturepoisoninginthegreatlimpopotransfrontierconservationarea AT brentmcoverdale conservationcriminologybaseddeskassessmentofvulturepoisoninginthegreatlimpopotransfrontierconservationarea AT rebeccagarbett conservationcriminologybaseddeskassessmentofvulturepoisoninginthegreatlimpopotransfrontierconservationarea AT reginalmharrell conservationcriminologybaseddeskassessmentofvulturepoisoninginthegreatlimpopotransfrontierconservationarea AT sonjakrueger conservationcriminologybaseddeskassessmentofvulturepoisoninginthegreatlimpopotransfrontierconservationarea AT jennifermmullinax conservationcriminologybaseddeskassessmentofvulturepoisoninginthegreatlimpopotransfrontierconservationarea AT larsjolson conservationcriminologybaseddeskassessmentofvulturepoisoninginthegreatlimpopotransfrontierconservationarea AT maryannottinger conservationcriminologybaseddeskassessmentofvulturepoisoninginthegreatlimpopotransfrontierconservationarea AT hannelinesmitrobinson conservationcriminologybaseddeskassessmentofvulturepoisoninginthegreatlimpopotransfrontierconservationarea AT ljenshaffer conservationcriminologybaseddeskassessmentofvulturepoisoninginthegreatlimpopotransfrontierconservationarea AT lindyjthompson conservationcriminologybaseddeskassessmentofvulturepoisoninginthegreatlimpopotransfrontierconservationarea AT lindavandenheever conservationcriminologybaseddeskassessmentofvulturepoisoninginthegreatlimpopotransfrontierconservationarea AT williamwbowerman conservationcriminologybaseddeskassessmentofvulturepoisoninginthegreatlimpopotransfrontierconservationarea |