04 Jun 2026

Conservationists and wildlife experts have called for the urgent phasing out of lead-based ammunition, warning that lead poisoning is silently driving vultures towards extinction in Botswana and across Africa.

Stakeholders described lead contamination as one of the deadliest but least understood threats facing vultures and other scavenging wildlife species.

They shared concerns during a District Stakeholder Awareness Workshop on Lead (Pb) Poisoning in Vultures and Wildlife held in Maun recently in a bid to strengthen awareness on the ecological importance of vultures while encouraging the adoption of lead-free ammunition and safer carcass disposal practices.

Conservation officer at BirdLife Botswana, Mr Tawana Lebakanyane said vultures were critical to ecosystem survival because they rapidly consumed carcasses before they could become breeding grounds for diseases and harmful pests.

He explained that vultures naturally helped limit the spread of infections by denying food access to scavengers such as rats, flies and stray dogs.

Mr Lebakanyane said vultures often consumed fragments of lead left inside carcasses of animals shot using lead bullets, exposing them to fatal poisoning.

He warned that because vultures feed communally, a single contaminated carcass could kill dozens of birds at once.

“Lead poisoning is becoming one of the major threats pushing vultures closer to extinction,” he said.

Senior wildlife officer from the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Mr Monei Onalethata, echoed similar concerns, describing vultures as ecosystem guardians whose disappearance could trigger serious environmental and public health consequences.

He said vultures played a vital sanitation role by cleaning up carcasses before they could contaminate water sources or spread dangerous bacteria.

Director of Raptors Botswana, Dr Moses Selebatso, explained that poisoned baits intended for predators such as lions and hyenas often resulted in devastating collateral damage for vultures.

He added that poaching activities and toxic substances left in the environment continued to intensify the crisis.

Environmental health officer from the North West District Council Ms Boitshepo Sechele cautioned that lead contamination was not only dangerous to wildlife but also posed risks to human health and the environment.

She highlighted the importance of proper carcass disposal, environmental hygiene and preventative waste management practices to minimise exposure to toxic substances.

Ms Sechele further called for stronger regulations governing toxic substances and increased public awareness on safer alternatives to lead ammunition.

Meanwhile, Botswana Defence Force ammunition technical officer, Major Peter Mora said introducing non-lead ammunition and enforcing responsible environmental practices would significantly reduce poisoning risks to wildlife.

Professional hunter and vice chairperson of the Botswana Wildlife Producers Association, Mr Jeff Claeys, also supported efforts to gradually phase out lead-based bullets while balancing conservation and hunting interests.

He stressed that addressing lead poisoning required collaboration among government departments, hunters, veterinarians, researchers, conservation organisations and communities.

“Protecting vultures is no longer simply about conserving birds, but about protecting ecosystems, public health and environmental sustainability, he said. ENDS