Drug threatens South Asia's vultures

[dArKeR]

Three vulture species in South Asia face imminent extinction due to a powerful drug that makes livestock carcasses fatal for the scavenging birds, ornithologists at a world conference on birds said.

"There has been an overall 95% decline in the population of the three species during the past eight years" in India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan, Debbie Paine, of the British chapter of Birdlife International, said from the port city of Durban.

The birds' numbers have reduced from "tens of millions to tens of thousands", she said, adding: "If nothing is done on a war-footing there will soon be no vultures in South Asia."

Experts said the main reason is the use of the drug diclofenac for treating cattle and other livestock.

http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=32466

Boy, we've really screwed up the Earth! God would be proud of us!

[Boomer]

1. Just when we need them, too

Vultures don't get much sympathy or respect since they're not cuddly and cute, but they serve a very important clean-up function. When you consider the possibility of rapid depopulation in the near future, we may really miss those vultures...