Are traditional healers contributing to the decline of Blue Cranes in Namibia?

Abstract

Much has been published about the plight and decline of Blue Cranes Anthropoides paradiseus from Namibia over the last few years (Brown 1992, Simmons et al. 1996, Kolberg et al. 2006, Simmons et al. 2006, Scott et al. 2009, Scott et al. 2011). Blue Cranes are considered to be one of the world's most range-restricted crane species; endemic to southern Africa as well as Critically Endangered and seemingly declining in Namibia (Simmons and Brown, in press) and Globally Threatened (BirdLife International 2012).