Vultures are avian obligate scavengers which provide important ecosystem services by efficiently removing carcasses from the landscape. This role has been extended by some species to the coastal environments where they consume marine carcasses (i.e. whales, dolphins, seals and fish). On the African continent, only two species were reported to feed in the coastal ecosystems: the Lappet-faced Vulture (Torgos tracheliotos) on the Skeleton Coast of Namibia and the Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) in southern Gambia. Here we report on the first observation of four White-backed Vultures feeding on a Cape fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus). This has several ecological and conservation implications, including marine nutrients transfer and potential threat due to accumulation of marine environmental toxicants.

Anthropogenic land conversion is increasingly affecting wildlife populations. To mitigate impacts, we must understand how animals are affected by different types of human activity. Here, we examine if terrestrial mammals altered their movements around buildings in response to reduced human mobility during COVID-19 lockdowns. Using GPS data from 35 study sites across five continents and 23 different species, we tested whether animals changed their avoidance of buildings during lockdowns. Meta-analysis of population-level effects revealed that, in areas with high (but not low) human footprint, animals tended to show a significant reduction in their avoidance of buildings during lockdown. No such effect was detected during equivalent periods in years other than 2020, indicating that behavioural changes were caused by reduced human mobility, independent of infrastructure. Our findings suggest that animals living alongside humans exhibit greater plasticity when people change their behaviour, likely reflecting the combined effects of environmental filtering and habituation.