Vultures are held with a twisted fascination throughout the story. Their association with death may be a practical necessity for them, but the human world has always sought a more mystical connection—making these birds the bridge between the realms of the living and the dead.
The animal world, however, has always been at odds with human perception – whether it regarded the innocent aye-aye as a “harbinger of death” or deified the largest short-horned lizard to shed blood to protect itself.
So is the vulture, whose association with death and decay meant that its dwindling numbers attracted little attention—until an alarming number of human lives were lost.
Their near-extinction across the Indian subcontinent set off a catastrophic chain reaction – escalating the spread of deadly diseases, triggering an explosion of scavengers and ultimately triggering a public health emergency.
It all started when the “Messengers of Death” started dying
Until the last decade of the 20su century, the skies of the Indian subcontinent were full of vultures.
Three species dominated these skies—the macrothymic (Gypsum indicus), the thin (Gyps tenuirostris) and the white vulture (Gyps bengalensis).
With an estimated 40 million individuals only in India, these scavengers were a ubiquitous sight in towns and villages. From perched on trees to soaring high above carcasses, vultures were essential to the subcontinent’s ecosystem.
By 2007, their numbers had plummeted by 97% to 99.9%, with the peregrine falcon suffering the steepest decline. This catastrophic decline marked the fastest bird population collapse ever recorded worldwide. Although initially unnoticed, the decline became undeniable when researchers found alarming numbers of dead vultures in key habitats such as Keoladeo National Park.
Once described as the most abundant raptor on the subcontinent, the griffon vulture was declared critically endangered in 2000. Today, the combined population of the three most affected vulture species of the Indian subcontinent hovers around 20,000.
But what doomed the vultures?
The mystery of the vulture’s decline has puzzled scientists for years. Speculations ranged from pesticide bioaccumulation to habitat destruction. However, the speed and scale of the decline suggest a more pervasive threat.
The breakthrough came in 2004, when researchers traced the cause to diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) widely used in livestock.
Diclofenac, although effective in treating cattle disease, proved fatal to vultures – even in traces. Eating the carcasses of the treated animals exposed the vultures to the drug, leading to fatal kidney failure and visceral gout. A single contaminated carcass could poison dozens of vultures, and by the time the link was discovered, the damage was irreversible.
In 2006, India and Pakistan banned the veterinary use of diclofenac. However, enforcement has been patchy, with human formulations of the drug being illegally repurposed for animals.
Efforts to replace diclofenac with meloxicam, a vulture-safe alternative, have shown promise, but other toxic veterinary drugs remain in circulation, threatening the recovery of vulture populations.
A world with a few vultures spelling death for everyone
The void left by the vultures did not go unfilled. Their absence caused wild dog and rat populations to explode, both far less effective scavengers. Unlike vultures, whose strong stomach acids neutralize deadly bacteria, these scavengers became disease carriers, spreading them to humans.
In the decade following the vulture’s downfall, rabies cases soared, with an estimated 47,300 human deaths attributed to dog bites between 1992 and 2006. Sales of rabies vaccines and dog bite reports soared, reflecting the grim toll on public health. health.
Rotting carcasses also contaminated water supplies, spreading diseases such as anthrax, tuberculosis and brucellosis. Researchers estimate that the loss of vultures caused more than 100,000 additional human deaths annually between 2000 and 2005. This staggering toll, combined with the economic cost of disease outbreaks, was estimated at $70 billion annually.
In recent years, conservation efforts have shown glimmers of hope. Captive breeding programs such as the Jatayu Conservation Breeding Center have successfully raised and released vultures in carefully monitored “vulture safe zones”. Banning large vials of diclofenac for human use also reduced illegal veterinary use.
However, challenges persist. Other toxic NSAIDs remain uncontrolled and habitat destruction continues to threaten nesting sites. Vulture populations are stabilizing but remain precariously low.
The vulture crisis serves as a stark reminder of how deeply interconnected ecosystems are—and how easily they can unravel. The loss of a single species has resulted in public health emergencies, economic losses and human tragedy.
As vultures slowly return from the brink, their story underscores the urgent need for proactive conservation and thoughtful coexistence. In nature, even the less glamorous creatures can hold the key to our survival.
The story of vultures exposes the sheer fragility of the natural world and how our best efforts can only be the first step on the road to recovery. Are declining populations of healthy animals fueling your fears about climate change? Take a quick 2 minute test to see where you stand Climate change concern scale.