The current population of 30,000 is decreasing due to loss of habitat, deliberate poisoning by ivory poachers and other factors.[2] Known also as R??ppell's griffon, Rueppell's griffon, R??ppell's griffin vulture, Rueppell's vulture and other variants, R??ppell's vulture is named in honor of Eduard R??ppell, a 19th-century German explorer, collector, and zoologist.[3] R??ppell's vulture is conside