Local knowledge and perceptions of vulture conservation in communities living adjacent to the northern Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe.

Vulture populations are declining globally largely due to deliberate and unintentional persecution and poisoning of animal carcasses which the birds consume. The objectives of this study were to: (i) assess local people’s knowledge and perceptions of vultures and their ecological importance and (ii) determine the socio-cultural uses of vulture body parts in communities adjacent to the northern Gonarezhou National Park, south-eastern Zimbabwe. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered through interviews with randomly selected household representatives (n = 81) in August 2016. Our results showed that the majority of study respondents, 72.9% (n = 59) reported the need to conserve vultures for their socio-ecological importance to the local communities. Respondents acknowledged the importance of vultures as agents of cleaning the environment, hence maintaining ecosystem health. However, a concern for vulture population decline due to poisoning was reported by most respondents of 71.6 % (n = 58). Vulture’s organs were reported to be used mostly to enhance dreaming or having visions about the future followed by healing and lastly magic use. We recommend enhanced conservation awareness and education on vultures’ conservation and restrictions on access to and use of hazardous chemicals which may likely be used in poisoning wildlife