----- Forwarded Message -----
From: David Allan <alland@durban.gov.za>
To: wcst@africaonline.co.tz
Cc: Hanneline Smit <conservation@birdlife.org.za>; tzbirdatlas@yahoo.co.uk
Sent: Tuesday, 1 November 2011, 17:51
Subject: ATTENTION: Chief Executive, WCST - Vulture questionnaire
Dear Lota Melamari, Chief
Executive, WCST (also copied to Neil and Liz Baker)
BirdLife South Africa (acting for BirdLife International) has engaged me to assist them with a continent-wide review of the conservation status of Afrotropical vultures.
I'm working closely with Hanneline Smit, Conservation Manager, and Mark Anderson, CEO and vulture expert, from BirdLife South Africa, and Chris Magin of the RSPB, on this initiative.
One aspect of the review involves the attached questionnaire, which is aimed at assessing the national or more local status of vulture populations as perceived by local on-the-ground stakeholders.
The primary respondents to whom we are sending the questionnaire are the 19 Afrotropical BirdLife Partners, Partners Designate and Affiliates. Immediately after this, we will be cascading it to as wide a broader audience of Afrotropical vulture stakeholders as possible.
Could I ask you to please get this questionnaire completed
for us on behalf of the Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania. The questionnaire ends with a request to identify other parties to whom it would be worth sending the questionnaire in Tanzania. We would particularly appreciate it if you could provide a comprehensive list (with accompanying contact details) of relevant parties in this regard, e.g. governmental conservation agencies, other conservation NGOs, etc.
The questionnaire is rather lengthy and hence a little daunting, but the list of threats faced by Afrotropical vultures is as long and the conservation challenge they face is far more daunting. So please excuse our imposing on you like this; your input will be deeply appreciated and fully acknowledged.
We would also like to see this questionnaire kicking off a longer-term networking and intensification of vulture conservation efforts in the Afrotropics, particularly amongst the African 'BirdLife family'. So this should only be
the first step in a more intensive continent-wide commitment. You will certainly hear more from us soon in this regard, particularly once we receive the completed questionnaire.
Can we please request that you return the completed questionnaire as soon as possible, and within two weeks at the latest, i.e. by mid-November. If this is not feasible, please advise when you will be able to tackle it.
Please get back to me immediately if you have any queries or concerns. In the first instance, it would be appreciated if you can confirm safe receipt of this e-mail.
Thank you and looking forward with eager anticipation to your response.
Regards - David Allan
David Allan
Curator of Birds
Durban Natural Science Museum
P.O. Box 4085
Durban 4000
South Africa
tel 031-3224214
cell 082-3610261
fax 031-3112242
e-mail:
alland@durban.gov.zaPlease read this confidentiality disclaimer:
http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/e_colophon/edisclaimer