Picture a vulture. You probably conjure an image of a filthy creature and feelings of disgust and repulsion. Similar perceptions are nearly ubiquitous and spell a grim future for the birds. Despite their looks, vultures perform ecosystem services that are critical for human and environmental health.
Due to their scavenger diet, vultures are exposed to virulent pathogens that most organisms cannot metabolize. They neutralize the pathogens, removing them from the environment and preventing health risks to other organisms. Vultures function to prevent the spread of disease and recycle energy while keeping populations of dogs, rats, flies, and other scavengers in check.
These important ecosystem functions come into relief as vulture populations decline. Many species are endangered or critically endangered due to poisoning, poaching for traditional medicine, and habitat loss. Farmers retaliate against predators for attacking their livestock by poisoning the carcases, but this kills vultures that eat the carcasses. Poachers, after killing an elephant, for example, will poison the carcass so that that when vultures come, they die and their flight patterns do not alert local authorities to the recent death. In India, a medicine used to treat cows poisoned and nearly wiped out vultures. Without vultures to process carcasses, especially of sacred cows, feral dog populations skyrocketed, along with dog bites and rabies cases. All this was estimated to cost India billions in healthcare. Now you might say a vulture looks like a million bucks!
The vulture decline, deemed a crisis in Asia, Africa, and Europe, is alarming and some conservationists are taking heed. The drug for cattle that poisons vultures is now illegal (in places). Awareness campaigns in villages aim to help people deconstruct superstitions surrounding vultures, improve appreciation, and provide nesting sites. Conservationists are looking to policy change and enforcement to improve the outlook for these *beautiful* birds!
Due to their scavenger diet, vultures are exposed to virulent pathogens that most organisms cannot metabolize. They neutralize the pathogens, removing them from the environment and preventing health risks to other organisms. Vultures function to prevent the spread of disease and recycle energy while keeping populations of dogs, rats, flies, and other scavengers in check.
These important ecosystem functions come into relief as vulture populations decline. Many species are endangered or critically endangered due to poisoning, poaching for traditional medicine, and habitat loss. Farmers retaliate against predators for attacking their livestock by poisoning the carcases, but this kills vultures that eat the carcasses. Poachers, after killing an elephant, for example, will poison the carcass so that that when vultures come, they die and their flight patterns do not alert local authorities to the recent death. In India, a medicine used to treat cows poisoned and nearly wiped out vultures. Without vultures to process carcasses, especially of sacred cows, feral dog populations skyrocketed, along with dog bites and rabies cases. All this was estimated to cost India billions in healthcare. Now you might say a vulture looks like a million bucks!
The vulture decline, deemed a crisis in Asia, Africa, and Europe, is alarming and some conservationists are taking heed. The drug for cattle that poisons vultures is now illegal (in places). Awareness campaigns in villages aim to help people deconstruct superstitions surrounding vultures, improve appreciation, and provide nesting sites. Conservationists are looking to policy change and enforcement to improve the outlook for these *beautiful* birds!
