Vultures are important as they clear away dead carcasses and rotting meat and are one of natures ways of maintaining a healthy environment.
Unfortunately though, vultures in many parts of the world are doing badly. In India 40 million vultures have died and disappeared in the last 20 years. Rotting meat and rubbish litters the streets. because natures garbage removes have gone – Vultures are important. A similar thing is happening in Africa where 6 out of the 11 species are in danger of extinction.
The reason for the decline has been placed on the anti-inflammatory drug – Diclofenac, used to treat livestock. When the cattle die, persistent residues of the drug drug built-up in the liver of the cow are consumed and poison the birds. Generally the drug is banned but a loophole in the law still allows its use in some European countries particularly Spain, where there is an important population of vulture species. Diclofenac is freely available in many other parts of the world.
As Paula and I journey through South America, in particular Argentina’s wild lands, we see Turkey Vultures almost every day as they soar and drift over the landscape searching for food.
These two Black Vultures have found a dead fox, a good meal for a vulture and their featherless heads reduce bacterial growth infecting the birds.
One September day we were walking along a partly dried-up river bed near to Los Cardones National Park in Argentina and found the uncommon Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture feeding on the remains of a dead cow.
Vultures need large territories in which to live, a number of individuals may roost together at night and they will work together in a search for prey. Vultures use their keen eyesight to watch the behaviour of other vultures miles away. Their sense of smell is super acute and can help the bird pinpoint decaying flesh the other side of a mountain, they are truly amazing birds.
At Living Wild in South America we feel that Vultures populations are still OK and as Vultures are important, that is good news.
