Guest guest Posted September 9, 2009 Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/47037/title/Vultures_get_their_day Vultures get their day By Janet Raloff <http://www.sciencenews.org/view/authored/id/18/name/Janet_Raloff> Web edition : Saturday, September 5th, 2009 As carrion feeders, vultures are essentially garbage collectors of the avian world. Usually big, ungainly and found frequenting stinky environs, these birds are anything but charismatic. They won't win beauty contests either. But they perform an important role in natural ecosystems. And many have been disappearing across the globe at disturbingly rapid rates. That's why the wildlife-conservation community has decided to honor these animals with International Vulture Awareness Day <http://www.ivad09.org/> which just happens to be today. Currently, the Switzerland-based International Union for the Conservation of Nature <http://www.iucn.org/> lists 23 species of vultures as in trouble. The Egyptian, Indian, white-rumped, red-headed and slender-billed vultures � along with the California condor, a New World vulture � are all �endangered� with extinction. IUCN finds another five species are vulnerable to or near-threatened with extinction. In many instances, human activities have indirectly imperiled the birds. For instance, California condors <http://www.cacondorconservation.org/> have died from lead poisoning after eating the remains of animals that had been felled by hunters using lead shot. Some populations of vultures in India, Nepal and Pakistan plummeted to five percent of their former abundance during the 1990s after feasting on the carcasses of cattle that had been treated with an anti-inflammatory drug, diclofenac. According <http://www.vulturerescue.org/page4.html> to Vulture Rescue<http://www.vulturerescue.org/index.html>, a collaboration of conservation organizations and individuals, �population modeling has shown that less than 1 percent of carcasses need to contain a lethal quantity of diclofenac for this drug to be the main, or only, cause of the decline in vulture numbers. " This drug�s use on dogs has further aggravated the problem, as vultures will feed on canine carcasses as well. Indeed, that�s spurred Chris Bowden, vulture-program manager for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, to observe<http://ecoworldly.com/2009/07/24/indias-vulture-population-has-plummeted\ -from-40-million-to-60000-poisoned-by-drug-diclofenac/>that �When describing the habitat of vultures, it is important to remember that a safe food source is an essential component. It may not be a conventional image of a conservation initiative to go out and lobby local vets and farmers to take care not to use a certain veterinary drug, but this is actually what the vultures most need us all to do.� Another suspected link between vultures and dogs: rabies. With the virtual extirpation of India�s vultures, owing to the diclofenac debacle and loss of vulture nesting habitat, lots of animal carcasses are now available to feed a burgeoning population of rats and other opportunistic feeders, such as feral dogs. Rhishja Larson wrote about the Indian situation in a July 24 *EcoWorldly* piece, noting that<http://ecoworldly.com/2009/07/24/is-decline-in-indias-vulture-population-li\ nked-to-spread-of-rabies-in-humans/>�India now has the highest rate of human rabies in the world, partly due to the increase in feral dogs. In fact, the rabies problem is so widespread that India has launched a plan to sterilize over 8 million dogs over the next ten years.� Nor should people expect that dogs and other scavengers will clean up carcasses efficiently. Most pick at dead animals, eating the parts they like and leaving the rest. By contrast, vultures are masters of the pick-the-bone-clean diners. A flock can descend on an animal, even a cow, and a couple hours later depart from this impromptu �restaurant� leaving no flesh behind. Which would you rather have sitting around the neighborhood: A pile of bones or maggot-infested, slowly decomposing animal remains? Uh, that would seem a no-brainer. So let's give these funky looking birds the respect they deserve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 11, 2009 Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 Friends! For quite some time I’ve been working on the Common Indian Vulture and the reason behind their disappearance. I wonder how many animals would we strive to save from vanishing from the face of this earth! Contrary to what people believe, Vultures have (or had) a very crucial role to play in the environment. Carcasses (rotting ones) are a Vulture’s typical food. Whenever there is a cattle epidemic or large scale deaths due to natural calamities, the vultures do(or did) the job of cleansing the earth of the putrid carcasses, thus, preventing deadly and contagious germs from spreading. Over the years I’ve been following the research work of some gypsophils (vulture enthusiasts) who have been crying themselves hoarse that the stately bird is gradually flying towards extinction. The key reasons being: increasing urbanisation, rampant use of pesticides, pollution, felling of trees etc. Wildlife experts fear that if something is not done immediately then sighting and photographing a vulture would become extremely rare! Mass killing of vultures is also taking its toll on their disappearance. A number of tribes in India (Andhra Pradesh,Madhya Pradesh & Karnataka) relish vulture meat. But what is more worrisome is that the villagers view these carnivores as aggressive predators that swoop and lift their livestock and children. Hence, they mix lethal poison in a carcass which kills these poor birds instantly. Another alarming reason is that the Civil Aviation and Air Force authorities have special squads to shoot down vultures as they are a major threat to a flying aircraft. Recently, the Center of Science & Environment (CSE) undertook a study on the eating habits of Vutures in Delhi & Uttar Pradesh. The study revealed high doses of deadly chemicals like DDT, Aldrin, Dieldrin and BHC in their stomachs. The theory is that the cattle imbibe these pesticides from the grass and other vegetation. When the cattle die, vultures make a meal of the carcasses along with the chemicals. Although DDT & other harmful pesticides are banned but they are still distributed by the block officers in the villages. This is extremely worrisome as Vultures lay only 2-3 eggs and that too once a year. Since vultures are hostile to the vultures of other species, cross breeding is out of question. Inbreeding also never happens, so to speak, as it reduces fertility and survival possiblity of the new-borns. In India, there are 8 species of Vultures. The commonest being the Indian Scavenger which is (or was) found practically (?) all over the country. However, over the years, other species such as: India King, Long-billed Griffon, Indian Fulvous, Asian White Rumped Vulture, and the Himalayan Griffon have become a rare site these days. Many simply have vanished or may only be found in high mountain ranges. Even Dr. Salim Ali described these birds as God’s own incinerators which cannot be replaced even by the most sophisticated ones that man may invent. Once a common site on the high-ways 'scavenging' on the vehicle-hit animals, now we see only dogs and crows in their place! So I guess its time to ring the alarm bells!!!!!!!!!!!! Regards Radhika Narayani Singh (I) C.A.R.E India (Center for Animal Rescue Rehab and Environment Protection) _________ " Take nothing but pictures, Leave nothing but fooprints, Kill nothing but time " _________ " USE LESS PAPER AND SAVE A TREE " _________ ________________________________ AAPN List <aapn > Wednesday, 9 September, 2009 11:26:50 AM (IN) Vultures and Dogs http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/47037/title/Vultures_get_their_day Vultures get their day By Janet Raloff <http://www.sciencenews.org/view/authored/id/18/name/Janet_Raloff> Web edition : Saturday, September 5th, 2009 As carrion feeders, vultures are essentially garbage collectors of the avian world. Usually big, ungainly and found frequenting stinky environs, these birds are anything but charismatic. They won't win beauty contests either. But they perform an important role in natural ecosystems. And many have been disappearing across the globe at disturbingly rapid rates. That's why the wildlife-conservation community has decided to honor these animals with International Vulture Awareness Day <http://www.ivad09.org/> which just happens to be today. Currently, the Switzerland-based International Union for the Conservation of Nature <http://www.iucn.org/> lists 23 species of vultures as in trouble. The Egyptian, Indian, white-rumped, red-headed and slender-billed vultures � along with the California condor, a New World vulture � are all �endangered� with extinction. IUCN finds another five species are vulnerable to or near-threatened with extinction. In many instances, human activities have indirectly imperiled the birds. For instance, California condors <http://www.cacondorconservation.org/> have died from lead poisoning after eating the remains of animals that had been felled by hunters using lead shot. Some populations of vultures in India, Nepal and Pakistan plummeted to five percent of their former abundance during the 1990s after feasting on the carcasses of cattle that had been treated with an anti-inflammatory drug, diclofenac. According <http://www.vulturerescue.org/page4.html> to Vulture Rescue<http://www.vulturerescue.org/index.html>, a collaboration of conservation organizations and individuals, �population modeling has shown that less than 1 percent of carcasses need to contain a lethal quantity of diclofenac for this drug to be the main, or only, cause of the decline in vulture numbers. " This drug�s use on dogs has further aggravated the problem, as vultures will feed on canine carcasses as well. Indeed, that�s spurred Chris Bowden, vulture-program manager for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, to observe<http://ecoworldly.com/2009/07/24/indias-vulture-population-has-plummeted\ -from-40-million-to-60000-poisoned-by-drug-diclofenac/>that �When describing the habitat of vultures, it is important to remember that a safe food source is an essential component. It may not be a conventional image of a conservation initiative to go out and lobby local vets and farmers to take care not to use a certain veterinary drug, but this is actually what the vultures most need us all to do.� Another suspected link between vultures and dogs: rabies. With the virtual extirpation of India�s vultures, owing to the diclofenac debacle and loss of vulture nesting habitat, lots of animal carcasses are now available to feed a burgeoning population of rats and other opportunistic feeders, such as feral dogs. Rhishja Larson wrote about the Indian situation in a July 24 *EcoWorldly* piece, noting that<http://ecoworldly.com/2009/07/24/is-decline-in-indias-vulture-population-li\ nked-to-spread-of-rabies-in-humans/>�India now has the highest rate of human rabies in the world, partly due to the increase in feral dogs. In fact, the rabies problem is so widespread that India has launched a plan to sterilize over 8 million dogs over the next ten years.� Nor should people expect that dogs and other scavengers will clean up carcasses efficiently. Most pick at dead animals, eating the parts they like and leaving the rest. By contrast, vultures are masters of the pick-the-bone-clean diners. A flock can descend on an animal, even a cow, and a couple hours later depart from this impromptu �restaurant� leaving no flesh behind. Which would you rather have sitting around the neighborhood: A pile of bones or maggot-infested, slowly decomposing animal remains? Uh, that would seem a no-brainer. So let's give these funky looking birds the respect they deserve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 12, 2009 Report Share Posted September 12, 2009 Friends! For quiet sometime I’ve been working on the Common Indian Vulture and the reason behind their disappearance. I wonder how many animals would we strive to save from vanishing from the face of this earth! Contrary to what people believe, Vultures have (or had) a very crucial role to play in the environment. Caracasses (rotting ones) are a Vulture’s typical food. Whenever there is a cattle epidemic or large scale deaths due to natural calamities, the vultures do(or did) the job of cleansing the earth of the putrid caracasses, thus, preventing deadly and contagious germs from spreading. Over the years I’ve been following the research work of some gypsophils (vulture enthusiasts) who have been crying themselves hoarse that the stately bird is gradually flying towards extinction. The key reasons being : increasing urbanisation,rampant use of pesticides,pollution,felling of trees etc. Wildlife experts fear that if something is not done immidiately then sighting and photographing a vulture would become extremely rare! Mass killing of vultures is also taking its toll on their disappearance. A number of tribes in India (Andhra Pradesh,Madhya Pradesh & Karnataka) relish vulture meat. But what is more worrisome is that the villagers view these carnivores as aggressive predators that swoop and lift their livestock and children.Hence, they mix lethal poison in a caracass which kills these poor birds instantly. Another alarming reason is that the Civil Aviation and Air Force authorities have special squads to shoot down vultures as they are a major threat to a flying aircraft. Recently, the Center of Science & Environment (CSE) undertook a study on the eating habits of Vutures in Delhi & Uttar Pradesh. The study revealed high doses of deadly chemicals like DDT,Aldrin,Dieldrin and BHC in their stomachs. The theory is that the cattle imbibe these pesticides from the grass and other vegetation. When the cattle die, vultures make a meal of the caracasses alongwith the chemicals. Although, DDT & other harmful pesticides are banned but they are still distributed by the block officers in the villages. This is extremely worrisome as Vultures lay only 2-3 eggs and that too once a year.Since vultures are hostile to the vultures of other species, cross breeding is out of question.Imbreeding also never happens,so to speak, as it reduces fertility and survival possiblity of the new-borns. In India,there are 8 species of Vultures.The commonest being the Indian Scavenger which is (or was) found practically (?) all over the country.However,over the years, other species such as: India King,Long-billed Griffon,Indian Fulvous,Asian White Rumped Vulture,and the Himalayan Griffon have become a rare site these days.Many simply have vansihed or may only be found in high mountain ranges. Even Dr. Salim Ali described these birds as God’s own incinerators which cannot be replaced even by the most sophisticated ones that man may invent. Once a common site on the hig-ways 'scavengiing' on the vehicle-hit animals, now we see only dogs and crows in their place! So I guess its time to ring the alarm bells!!!!!!!!!!!! Regards Radhika Narayani Singh (I) C.A.R.E India (Center for Animal Rescue Rehab and Environment Protection) _________ " Take nothing but pictures, Leave nothing but fooprints, Kill nothing but time " _________ " USE LESS PAPER AND SAVE A TREE " _________ ________________________________ AAPN List <aapn > Wednesday, 9 September, 2009 11:26:50 AM (IN) Vultures and Dogs http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/47037/title/Vultures_get_their_day Vultures get their day By Janet Raloff <http://www.sciencenews.org/view/authored/id/18/name/Janet_Raloff> Web edition : Saturday, September 5th, 2009 As carrion feeders, vultures are essentially garbage collectors of the avian world. Usually big, ungainly and found frequenting stinky environs, these birds are anything but charismatic. They won't win beauty contests either. But they perform an important role in natural ecosystems. And many have been disappearing across the globe at disturbingly rapid rates. That's why the wildlife-conservation community has decided to honor these animals with International Vulture Awareness Day <http://www.ivad09.org/> which just happens to be today. Currently, the Switzerland-based International Union for the Conservation of Nature <http://www.iucn.org/> lists 23 species of vultures as in trouble. The Egyptian, Indian, white-rumped, red-headed and slender-billed vultures � along with the California condor, a New World vulture � are all �endangered� with extinction. IUCN finds another five species are vulnerable to or near-threatened with extinction. In many instances, human activities have indirectly imperiled the birds. For instance, California condors <http://www.cacondorconservation.org/> have died from lead poisoning after eating the remains of animals that had been felled by hunters using lead shot. Some populations of vultures in India, Nepal and Pakistan plummeted to five percent of their former abundance during the 1990s after feasting on the carcasses of cattle that had been treated with an anti-inflammatory drug, diclofenac. According <http://www.vulturerescue.org/page4.html> to Vulture Rescue<http://www.vulturerescue.org/index.html>, a collaboration of conservation organizations and individuals, �population modeling has shown that less than 1 percent of carcasses need to contain a lethal quantity of diclofenac for this drug to be the main, or only, cause of the decline in vulture numbers. " This drug�s use on dogs has further aggravated the problem, as vultures will feed on canine carcasses as well. Indeed, that�s spurred Chris Bowden, vulture-program manager for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, to observe<http://ecoworldly.com/2009/07/24/indias-vulture-population-has-plummeted\ -from-40-million-to-60000-poisoned-by-drug-diclofenac/>that �When describing the habitat of vultures, it is important to remember that a safe food source is an essential component. It may not be a conventional image of a conservation initiative to go out and lobby local vets and farmers to take care not to use a certain veterinary drug, but this is actually what the vultures most need us all to do.� Another suspected link between vultures and dogs: rabies. With the virtual extirpation of India�s vultures, owing to the diclofenac debacle and loss of vulture nesting habitat, lots of animal carcasses are now available to feed a burgeoning population of rats and other opportunistic feeders, such as feral dogs. Rhishja Larson wrote about the Indian situation in a July 24 *EcoWorldly* piece, noting that<http://ecoworldly.com/2009/07/24/is-decline-in-indias-vulture-population-li\ nked-to-spread-of-rabies-in-humans/>�India now has the highest rate of human rabies in the world, partly due to the increase in feral dogs. In fact, the rabies problem is so widespread that India has launched a plan to sterilize over 8 million dogs over the next ten years.� Nor should people expect that dogs and other scavengers will clean up carcasses efficiently. Most pick at dead animals, eating the parts they like and leaving the rest. By contrast, vultures are masters of the pick-the-bone-clean diners. A flock can descend on an animal, even a cow, and a couple hours later depart from this impromptu �restaurant� leaving no flesh behind. Which would you rather have sitting around the neighborhood: A pile of bones or maggot-infested, slowly decomposing animal remains? Uh, that would seem a no-brainer. So let's give these funky looking birds the respect they deserve. --- For more information on Asian animal issues, please use the search feature on the AAPN website: http://www.aapn.org/ or search the list archives at: aapn Please feel free to send any relevant news or comments to the list at aapn AAPN is not responsible for and does not necessarily endorse the opinions/inputs of the contributors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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