Nairobi, Feb. 25 -- The ecosystem services provided by vultures in the southern African region, including sanitation and pest control, are estimated at $1.8 billion annually, according to a report launched in the Kenyan capital on Tuesday.

Compiled by BirdLife International, a conservation lobby, the report focuses on Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia, emphasising the role of vultures in maintaining ecological balance and promoting human health.

The African continent is home to 11 species of vultures, with seven facing the risk of extinction and listed as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species, according to the report.

Africa's vulture populati...