www.eagle-encounters.co.za

Why Sponsors?

The human race is currently experiencing a population explosion, which is resulting more and faster urbanisation of previously rural land. Birds and animals adapt their breeding habits, dietary preferences and ultimately even physical characteristics to survive within their environment. Man adapts the environment to suit his needs, with little or no consideration to the sustainability of the vitally important and fragile eco-systems that exist there.

When we decide to urbanise and area, the following generally occurs:

We cut down most / all of the natural trees and bush, which are home to birds of prey, as well as other bird and animal species which constitute their food source.
We may decide to plant other types of trees and/or bush. This is certainly a step in the right direction, and will encourage the return of some species, however some will still have to seek out entirely new territories.
Natural water sources will either be altered and/or polluted.
The erection of security fences means that rehabilitation centres will receive more injured raptors, as they do not see wire and therefore fly into it.
Roads and street lamps will be the cause of more owl deaths.
Electricity lines will electrocute more unsuspecting kites, buzzards, hawks, falcons and vultures.
All raptor species, but more especially owls, will fall victim to secondary poisoning when we decide that we can no longer live with insects and rodents. Sadly, this one selfish act can destroy an entire raptor family!
With the legalisation of pellet guns, coupled with a lack of conscience and/or education, rehabilitation centres are receiving more raptors that have been shot during target practice.
Inexperienced children and adults are removing the ‘cute’ babies from the nests of those raptors that have actually managed to adapt to our surroundings, and are hand-raising them. Birds of prey do not make affectionate and obedient pets, and generally end-up being abandoned at a rehabilitation centre. Apart from the fact that it is illegal to house any raptor without a certified permit, these hand-raised birds have been condemned to a life in captivity!

Birds of prey are territorial. These territories are selected according to the food availability and suitable nesting sites. They are having to hunt in and defend larger territories now, due to the urban sprawl making these necessities for survival less available. The unfortunate implication of this is that there are far fewer raptors to be found in much larger expanses of land. Being at the top of the food chain means that raptors are generally the first to be affected. Ornithologists have identified ‘flagship’ raptor species that alert them when habitat change is setting to alter an eco-system.

At Eagle Encounters, we are often asked whether birds of prey are endangered. The situation is like this:

There are sufficient for the amount of usable land that we have left them, but that number is decreasing annually.
If we do not make a concerted effort change our attitude towards our environment, our children will not enjoy during their lifetime the spectacular and diverse wildlife that we have so taken for granted during ours.
Accurate density counts have not been undertaken in years, due to insufficient funding and manpower. Like the American Condor, the situation could be even worse than we suspect!