Vulture Scarcity: A Threat to Ecosystem and Public Health
Vulture Scarcity: A Threat to Ecosystem and Public Health
The scarcity of vultures, particularly in South Asia, has had devastating effects on ecosystems and public health. By the 1990s, vulture populations in India began to decline drastically due to the use of diclofenac, a veterinary drug toxic to vultures. Feeding on carcasses of diclofenac-treated animals caused kidney failure in vultures, leading to their near extinction.
By the mid-1990s, India’s vulture population was approximately 50 million. However, the use of the painkiller diclofenac led to a rapid decline, bringing their numbers close to zero. Vultures feeding on the carcasses of animals treated with diclofenac suffered from kidney failure, resulting in their death. (BBC NEWS)
This decline in vulture populations had severe consequences for human health. In the absence of vultures, the disposal of animal carcasses became ineffective, leading to the spread of harmful bacteria and infections in the environment. Consequently, the number of stray dogs increased, which contributed to the spread of diseases such as rabies. According to a study published in the American Economic Association Journal, the decline in vultures caused approximately 500,000 additional human deaths over five years.(BBC)
Thus, the extinction of vultures disrupted the ecosystem, adversely impacted human health, and led to a significant number of deaths.(BBC)
Impacts of Vulture Scarcity:
1. Disruption in Carcass Disposal:
Vultures, once nature's efficient scavengers, played a vital role in disposing of animal carcasses. With their decline, carcasses began decomposing in the open, fostering the growth of harmful pathogens.
2. Rise in Stray Dog Populations:
The unconsumed carcasses became a food source for stray dogs, leading to an increase in their population. This surge caused a rise in rabies cases and other zoonotic diseases, significantly impacting human health.
3. Public Health Crisis:
Studies suggest that the decline in vultures led to nearly 500,000 human deaths over five years due to the spread of diseases like rabies. The economic burden of treating rabies also increased substantially.
4. Ecological Imbalance:
Vultures were a crucial part of the food chain. Their absence has created imbalances, affecting biodiversity and waste management systems.
Despite of chemical how human activities trouble for vulture
Human activities harming vultures include:
1. Habitat Loss: Urbanization and deforestation destroy nesting sites.
2. Food Scarcity: Changes in livestock disposal reduce carcasses.
3. Electrocution: Collisions with power lines are fatal.
4. Poisoning: Farmers poison carcasses or use lead bullets, harming vultures.
5. Nesting Disturbance: Tourism and logging disrupt breeding.
6. Illegal Trade: Vultures are killed for traditional medicine.
These activities, combined with chemical threats, have critically endangered vultures and disrupted ecological balance.
Conclusion:
The scarcity of vultures serves as a stark reminder of the interdependence between wildlife and human health. Their loss has highlighted the urgent need for conservation efforts and the regulation of harmful practices like diclofenac use.
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