African white-backed vulture
(Gyps africanus)
EEP Coordinator: Jane Robertson, Hawk Conservacy Trust
EEP page - African white-backed vulture
What are the EEP roles?
| Insurance | Function as a demographically stable, genetically healthy, and behaviourally competent insurance population that can potentially function as a source for future reintroduction. |
| Conservation education/awareness | Support educational activities in range, about vulture conservation (threats and how they can be countered). Engage with local NGOs to work on this and support them with material, etc. (focussing on West Africa). |
| Conservation education/awareness | Generate awareness about vulture conservation and the worrying conservation status they are in due to human-wildlife conflicts, poaching, (un)intentional poisoning (African white backed are heavily impacted). |
| Fundraising | EAZA to fundraise/financially support in situ work, training, response kit, and funding for research equipment (for example tracking devices and transmitters) |
| Research | Acquire knowledge on species biology to build up knowledge on nutrition, behaviour, reproduction biology, etc., to help inform in situ conservation actions |
| Technical and veterinary support | based on our experiences with vultures provide technical guidance and veterinary support for ex situ activities in range countries. |
| Advocacy | EAZA will do conservation education regarding diclofenac and poisoning issues with the species we do have in our collections. Provide input in CMS Action plan/CITES directly or via EU. |
EEP in numbers
In June 2026, the african white backed vulture EEP included:
- 112 animals
- in 28 institutions.
Programme highlights
- The Hawk Conservancy Trust is involved in many different conservation projects focused on the African white backed vulture.
