The vultures are a rare gift of nature for wildlife and forests to survive the plague.
Without these birds, humans are at greater risk of contracting diseases such as Covid-19, scientists warn.
Across the country and in many parts of the world, they’re also being killed by farmers who use poisoned bait to kill predators, unaware of the accidental avian casualties.
Extinction of species cannot be left as a natural phenomenon. It is a fact that extinction of species is going out of hand due to the destruction of humans.
No matter how many large plague-stricken animals have died, they have the incredible ability to eat and digest that corpse and absorb it without spreading the diseases to other creatures. This is why the vultures are called the guardian of forest and cleaner of Nature.
These deaths pose an even greater threat to the African vulture, a species whose numbers have dropped, so dramatically, it’s now threatened with extinction.
Scientists warn that without these birds, human beings risk contracting zoonotic diseases, such as rabies, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-COV), anthrax and a host of other ailments transferred to humans by animals.
Unknown to many, vultures clean up the environment, just as garbage collectors do.
Unlike many birds of beauty whose roles are mainly plant pollination, vultures are well adapted to eating carcasses and are aptly equipped with a digestive system that contains special acids to dissolve any deadly pathogens.
The speed with which vultures clean up animal carcasses prevents the spread of diseases. Without them, more anthrax spores are expected to infect soil and remain viable there for decades.
While most vultures die as a result of poisoning, not all are killed by pastoralists. Others are executed by poachers who lace dead elephants and rhinos with poison to kill vultures that might tip off park rangers to their illicit activities.
Raising awareness
Creating awareness among local communities about the dangers of using poisons to kill wildlife is needed to protect vital species like vultures and safeguard resources like watersheds that can be contaminated by chemicals.
Vultures are in fact extremely useful species for consuming any diseased carrion before they can spread into the environment and infect other animals.
Where in the world can we find vultures?
There are currently 23 species of vultures that are distributed across the world including Europe, Africa, Asia and North and South America. There are no vultures in Australia, however there are similar birds of prey that feed on carrion, like the raptor Black-breasted buzzard.
Vulture living space:
All the places they choose to live are uninhibited. If there is human movement in their nesting area, they will relocate.
Vultures can fly up to 200 to 250 km for food.
The international union for conservation of Nature (I.U.C.N) has announced that four types of vultures namely the white backed vulture, black necked vulture, sental vulture, bronze footed vulture have been listed as critically endangered.
Despite the banning of the drug diclofenac, a major cause of vulture extinction, other drugs continue to kill vulture species.
“It is our duty to ensure that vultures continue to grace our skies and help keep healthy ecosystems intact,".
Birds are to live without humans, but humans not survive without birds.
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