![]() National Geographic Explorer Darcy Ogada is involved in several conservation efforts related to vulture species in Africa. Other threats to the African vulture population include trade of vulture meat, use of vultures in medicine, and accidents involving power lines and wind turbines, an indicator that bird-friendly designs might be needed for implementation of renewable energy infrastructure in these areas. In more nefarious circumstances, poachers use these poisons on carcasses to purposefully target vultures so that they will not flock around the carcass of an illegally hunted animal. Herders poison carcasses to ward off predators such as lions, which pose a threat to livestock, but vultures are the more common victim. Now, the African vulture population is on a decline, in part, because of incidental toxin exposure, but also because of intentional poisoning. India has since banned diclofenac, but it is still legal in other countries-Spain, for example-where it may still threaten vultures. Some studies estimated a decline in more than 90 percent of the Indian vulture population as a result of the use of this bovine veterinary drug. Because many birds can flock to and consume one cow carcass, each dead cow that had been recently treated with diclofenac could poison many vultures. More recently, in the 1990s, widespread use of the cattle medication, diclofenac, dramatically reduced the vulture population in India. Conservation efforts are under way and have been effective, but the California condor is still considered one of the rarest birds on Earth. The vultures fed on remnants of animals field-dressed by hunters (removing a killed animal's internal organs), and the carrion frequently contained bullet fragments, which were made from toxic lead that killed the avian consumers. In the United States, the California condor population, a group of vultures whose wingspans can measure up to three meters (just inches short of 10 feet), was reduced to only 22 individuals in the 1980s because of accidental poisoning. Many vulture deaths stemming from toxins are preventable, and sometimes these deaths result from purposeful poisoning. ![]() What is poisoning vultures? Vultures are present on five continents, and their well-being is threatened by toxins on at least three. Sadly, some toxins are still deadly to these scavengers, and such substances are responsible for the majority of vulture deaths over the last 40 years-a trend that has landed most vulture species on the endangered list. ![]() ![]() Vultures, which exclusively eat dead animal carcasses, are particularly effective at removing pathogens and toxins in the environment because they rapidly consume carrion before it decays, and their stomachs contain an incredibly potent acid that destroys many of the harmful substances found in dead animals. Scavengers eliminate these harmful substances from the environment, mitigating the spread of disease that may otherwise impact local food webs and potentially harm human health and the economy. For example, if left to thrive in a carcass, bacteria and other pathogens may spread within the local environment and infect other animals, including livestock and humans. By consuming dead animals, called carrion, scavengers remove dead carcasses from the environment-a valuable service that goes well beyond environmental aesthetics. However, the research community has become increasingly aware of the critical role scavenging plays in the stability of ecosystems and food webs. Saving Earth Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century.When thinking about the beauty and balance of nature, scavengers may not be the first thing that comes to mind.Britannica Beyond We’ve created a new place where questions are at the center of learning.100 Women Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians.COVID-19 Portal While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today.Student Portal Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more.This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.#WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions.Britannica Classics Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives.
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