123 vultures died after eating a elephant carcass, poisoned after poachers laced the elephant with agricultural pesticides in South Africa’s Kruger National Park. 

Although further 83 vultures were rescued from the site and transported for emergency treatment either by helicopter or a specialised vulture ambulance, where these birds are currently recovering.

This critical incident represents one of the worst vulture poisoning in the park’s history.

The vital cleaning up and sheer number of vultures that typically feed on a single carcass contributes to the devastating impact of such poisonings.

The elephants had been poisoned by poachers in a remote part of the huge park to harvest its body parts and ivory for the illegal trade, according the SANParks and the Endangered Wildlife Trust said.

Many vulture species are endangered in Africa including Cape vultures, lappet faced vultures and white-backed and hooded vultures, because of poisoning and other threats to them.

The Kruger National Park spanning 20, 000km² ( 7, 722m²) nearly twice the size of Qatar or Jamaica. Rangers face an uphill daily battle to guard endangered species like elephants, rhinos and lions from poachers.