It is no coincidence that vultures, although they are stately birds, are not among the most popular. There are many negative connotations associated with the word vulture. For example: «The vulture will take it!» There are also sayings like: «He pounced on the inheritance like a vulture», etc. There is also the fact that the vulture is a scavenger.

I too had my prejudices against these birds, which are also referred to as the «health police of the skies» because they make sick and dead animals disappear. It was a good thing that the Isaac Newton Forum and the Swakopmund Scientific Society invited people to a lecture at the Namibian Uranium Institute. The lecture by Peter Bridgeford, a proven expert on vultures, was entitled: «What do Vultures have to do with Uranium?»

Peter started with a funny comparison and said in the introduction to his talk that where there are uranium mines, vultures are also at home. For the next ninety minutes we learned a lot of new and interesting things about these birds that have an undeservedly bad reputation and are worth protecting. Something that this institution Vultures Namibia is committed to.

In the future, we will pay more attention to these birds, which have a wingspan of over three meters and can live up to forty years, when we see them circling in the sky!