We are pleased to share a policy brief produced by Isaya Busanya Masolele, a current student in the SPIBES East Africa programme. The brief, titled Ecological and Socioeconomic Variables Contributing to Vulture Population Decline in Maswa Game Reserve, Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem: Implications for Evidence-based Conservation Policy, was written as part of his MSc research and reflects his own findings and recommendations.
About the brief
Tanzania is home to eight vulture species, four of which are classified as Critically Endangered. Vulture populations, once relatively abundant in the 1980s, have been in significant decline since the early 2000s, driven by habitat degradation, poisoning, and socio-cultural exploitation. Isaya’s brief explores these drivers in depth, combining habitat suitability modelling with household surveys of 300 families across three villages surrounding Maswa Game Reserve.
Key findings
Isaya’s research found that under current climatic conditions, only 2.26% of the study area constitutes highly suitable habitat for the White-backed vulture. Poisoning, particularly from pesticides and locally distilled illicit alcohol, was identified as the leading cause of vulture mortality by nearly 57% of survey respondents. Vulture heads and feathers were the most sought-after body parts for cultural uses including traditional medicine, arrow making, and ritual ceremonies.
Recommendations
Based on his findings, Isaya calls for stronger enforcement of existing wildlife laws including the Tanzania Vulture Conservation and Management Plan (2023–2033), greater protection of critical vulture habitats along wildebeest migration corridors, and community-based initiatives promoting culturally acceptable alternatives to vulture body parts. He also recommends expanding long-term monitoring programmes to build a more reliable evidence base for conservation planning.
You can download & read Isaya’s full policy brief below:
