Hooded vultures 'on brink of extinction' in Africa after mass poisoning

Accidental ingestion of strychnine believed to be cause of nearly 1,000 deaths in Guinea-Bissau

Nearly 1,000 hooded vultures have died in a mass poisoning in Guinea-Bissau, pushing the endangered species towards the brink of extinction in Africa, according to conservationists.

Vultures were seen apparently searching for water and "bubbling from their beaks", and hundreds were found dead on the outskirts of two towns, Bafati and Gabi, which are 30 miles apart, over the past two weeks.