Vultures attract tourists
Visitors are coming to this area just to visit the Cape vulture viewing hide in Oribi.
THE Barry Porter Memorial Hide at the Oribi vulture restaurant is closed until the end of May to prevent disturbance of the nesting activities taking place within the colony.
However, this new facility, which opened in January this year, is already proving a major tourism drawcard.
Funded by Ugu South Coast Tourism, it was built and is controlled by Birdlife Trogons birding club. It was erected on private land, owned by farmer Mike Neethling, next to the vulture restaurant he maintains for the colony of Cape vultures that live and breed in the nearby cliffs. Access to the hide is controlled and anyone wishing to visit it should book through the birding club.
According to Trogons chairman Andy Ruffle, 90 people have visited the hide since it opened.
“Most of the visitors have come from outside our area and they include some international tourists. Many are travelling to the area specifically to visit the hide,” he said.
Trogons was receiving nothing but positive feedback from the visitors’ experiences and the hide was proving to be one of the best, if not the best place to view Cape vultures in South Africa.
“Every visitor is leaving as a ‘vulture convert’, which is excellent news for this magnificent, sometimes misunderstood, bird,” he added.
From a financial point of view the hide is also a success.
“Income is more than covering our costs for maintenance and we hope to have surplus funds to contribute to other conservation projects at the end of the year,” said Andy.
For more information, contact him at 039 6950829 or 072 8933794.
Gallery: New vulture hide opens
