Interesting article on the effects in india of the massive reduction in vulture numbers

[spike.t]

Indian vultures: Decline of scavenger birds caused 500,000 human deaths

A new study links the vulture decline in India to deadly bacteria spread, causing about 500,000 deaths.

www.bbc.com

 

[HankBuck]

Indian vultures: Decline of scavenger birds caused 500,000 human deaths

A new study links the vulture decline in India to deadly bacteria spread, causing about 500,000 deaths.

www.bbc.com

@spike.t - that was an interesting study and unusual subject matter. I was surprised at the overall numbers - 50 million Vultures ! If I read the study correctly, a large part of these vultures diet consisted of live stock “cattle” and landfill garbage - both are Not natural food sources found in Nature. It would seem that the Vulture populations were significantly “inflated” beyond what would have occurred naturally.
Lots of issues in play affecting health beyond loss of vulture population but unique in that Vultures seemed to provide a helpful solution.

 

[spike.t]

@spike.t - that was an interesting study and unusual subject matter. I was surprised at the overall numbers - 50 million Vultures ! If I read the study correctly, a large part of these vultures diet consisted of live stock “cattle” and landfill garbage - both are Not natural food sources found in Nature. It would seem that the Vulture populations were significantly “inflated” beyond what would have occurred naturally.
Lots of issues in play affecting health beyond loss of vulture population but unique in that Vultures seemed to provide a helpful solution.

With the amount of cattle there something needs to clean up the carcasses ....not only live stock but everything else....and the diclofenic used to treat cattle is the major issue.....this problem of loss of vultures applies to african countries as well ...the vulture populations have been hammered....they are natures sanitary crew and without them things as have been shown in India aren't good....they get poisoned by poachers as give away where dead animals are ,and for using parts in witchcraft ....there are projects in different african countries trying to stop the decline in numbers....but bit of losing battle....even in European countries there are problems for vultures....from memory Spain is one...maybe @Nyati knows bit more about the issues there

 

[Hank2211]

Really interesting read. This reinforces what we generally intuitively know - but equally generally forget - that nature is one interdependent system.

What many also seem to forget - or want to forget - is that humans are as much a part of those systems as any other living thing. To want to return to a 'state of nature' where there are no human (or humanoid) impacts on nature is to live in a fantasy which never existed.