Death in the Thaka Valley
Lappet-Faced Vulture Found Dead in alleged Zululand Poisoning Incident
"We saw the large bird hanging and swaying in the breeze from a distance after leaving the site of one of the carcasses. The area was tough to get to and had to be accessed completely on foot."
Ongoing human-wildlife conflict boiled over, triggering a devastating sequence of wildlife deaths in the area. This report covers a tense and volatile situation, a deadly dance between law and crime, marked by subtle intimidation. Eagles, crows, and another vulture were also found.
The Bush Telegraph
On 24 August, Ezemvelo dispatched a team to Thaka Valley after reports that several livestock had been killed by lions and that their carcasses had allegedly been poisoned and used as bait. The urgency of this response was heightened by events just weeks earlier: on 30 July, we had been actively tracking the prints of a male lion, whom we nicknamed the Lion King, through the valley. While on a hill following his spoor, we received word that he had just been shot dead a few kilometres away, outside Gluckstadt.
The continued presence of fresh kills after the Lion King's death strongly suggested that other lions remained in the area.
The Ezemvelo team returned late in the evening and confirmed that they saw cattle carcasses along with a dead eagle and a dead crow. Following this discovery, it was reported to SAPS.
On Tuesday, 25 August, Ezemvelo was informed that a private landowner, his staff, and a LionExpose member planned to search for and burn the allegedly poisoned carcasses to prevent further wildlife deaths and halt the ongoing ecological damage, already evident from the dead birds found the previous day.
On Wednesday, 26 August, SAPS arrived and clearly warned us off; they engaged in conversation, and we could not get away. We understood that going to the site could be interfering with a crime scene. We then left the area but returned a few days later, with permission, we decided to go and see what is going on in the Valley.
Grim Discoveries in the Valley
We set off at daybreak on 1 September into the valley. After several hours, we had found four cattle carcasses, along with a dead calf, two dead eagles, three dead crows, and lastly the Lappet-Faced Vulture.
We had found signs of human activity on a hill in the valley. The valley felt very eerie, littered with roaming cattle, and a sense of being watched. After checking the middle and one side of the valley, we crossed to the other side, where we found the fourth carcass. From that position, looking around into the distance, we saw a devastating sight, a large vulture swaying in a tree with its wings spread out.
Thinking he might be alive, we made our way as fast as possible to the tree. It was a Lappet-Faced Vulture, and it was dead.
We cautiously exited the area, ensuring nothing was disturbed, and sent photos whenever we had a signal. As we were leaving the valley, there was urgent communication with the landowner where this was found, SAPS, and Ezemvelo.
With this added pressure, SAPS and Ezemvelo agreed to come at first light the next day.
Burning the Carcasses and Another Dead Vulture
On Wednesday, 2 September, the landowner, his staff, and equipment to burn the carcasses, accompanied by SAPS and Ezemvelo, set out to the site; tragically, they also discovered a second vulture carcass.
The cattle carcasses, along with the "poisoned" birds that had been found, were burned.
Could some of the cattle have been killed by other predators such as Leopards and hyenas.
How many lions must die, and why is no one being held accountable.
©LionExpose
NOTES:
For further context, please read our story "Lion King Shot Dead in Conflict," which recounts the shooting of the male lion we named The Lion King on 30 July 2026, outside Gluckstadt.
The Lion King had a clear identifying mark on his right thigh. We confirmed with a lion specialist that this type of mark is usually used to identify an individual lion, making it easier for reserves to identify individual animals. The C-mark could face in various directions and may appear with other identifying marks, such as a line above or below it. Who made the C-mark, and when?
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