Vulture Shock

High in the sky above East Africa, a swarm of vultures appears. They circle downward, riding the wind with their huge wings. Soon, the vultures are hunched over a dead zebra. In less than an hour, the animal’s bones have been picked clean.

Vultures are scavengers, animals that consume dead organisms. That might seem gross. But by gobbling up animal carcasses, vultures help keep ecosystems clean.

Unfortunately, vultures are in grave danger. Around the world, toxic substances used by farmers and hunters have poisoned the animals that vultures eat. The problem has put some species of vultures on the brink of extinction. That’s why experts are working to save the important birds.

A group of vultures soars high in the sky above East Africa. They circle downward. They ride the wind with their huge wings. Soon, the vultures crowd around a dead zebra. They pick the animal’s bones clean. It takes less than an hour.

Vultures are scavengers. They eat dead animals. That might seem gross. But having vultures gobble up these bodies is important. It helps keep ecosystems clean.

But vultures are in danger. Farmers and hunters are poisoning animals that vultures eat. This is a problem around the world. It’s put some types of vultures on the edge of extinction. That’s why experts are working to save the birds.

Until recently, not much scientific research focused on vultures. “Even scientists thought vultures were kind of gross,” says biologist Evan Buechley. He studies vultures with a conservation group called HawkWatch International. Buechley says experts are still learning about the birds’ unique traits.

Vultures live on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. They have many adaptations that help them find and eat dead animals. Their giant wings—as large as 3 meters (10 feet) across—help them soar over vast areas to search for food. Their sharp vision lets them spot a dead animal from hundreds of meters in the air. And super-strong acid in their stomach allows them to digest rotting meat without getting sick.

Until recently, not many studies focused on vultures. “Even scientists thought vultures were kind of gross,” says Evan Buechley. He’s a biologist with the group HawkWatch International. Buechley says experts are still learning about the birds’ special traits.

Vultures live on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. The birds have many adaptations. They help them find and eat dead animals. The birds’ wings can stretch 3 meters (10 feet) across. They help vultures fly over large areas looking for food. The birds also have sharp eyes. They can spot a dead animal from high in the air. And vultures have strong acid in their stomachs. It allows them to break down rotting meat without getting sick.

Many other scavengers, such as rats and hyenas, eat dead animals. But they also hunt animals or eat plants. Vultures are one of the few creatures that eat almost nothing but carcasses. If they were to disappear, the planet wouldbe full of dead animals. Those corpses would breed dangerous bacteria that could spread infections to other animals.

Without vultures, humans would be in trouble too. In places where vulture numbers decline, the populations of rats, insects, and other disease-carrying scavengers explode. For instance, rats can spread dangerous diseases to humans in their droppings.

Many other scavengers eat dead animals. But they also hunt animals or eat plants too. Vultures eat almost nothing but dead bodies. They are one of the few creatures that do that. The planet would be full of dead animals without vultures. Dangerous bacteria would grow on the bodies. That could spread diseases to other animals.

People would be in trouble too without vultures. The number of vultures has dropped in some places. These spots have seen the number of other scavengers go up. They include rats and insects. Many of these animals carry dangerous diseases. For instance, rat poop can spread illnesses to people.

Today, vultures are among the most threatened birds in the world. And the number one reason is poisoned meat.

Poison became a problem for vultures in India in the 1990s. Farmers in that country were using a drug to ease aches and pains in cattle. The drug was toxic to vultures. So when the cow died, any vultures that ate its body died too. 

Dozens of vultures feast on a single carcass, so one toxic cow could kill as many as 100 vultures. India’s vultures were nearly wiped out before the drug was banned in 2006.  

Today, vultures are one of the most threatened birds in the world. And the main reason is poisoned meat.

Poison became a problem for vultures in India in the 1990s. Farmers in that country were giving cattle a drug. It helped ease the animals’ aches and pains. The drug was toxic to vultures. So they died if they ate the dead cows’ bodies.

Dozens of vultures eat one body. So one toxic cow could kill as many as 100 vultures. The drug was banned in 2006. But India’s vultures were nearly wiped out by then.

Today, vultures face a similar threat across Africa. There, lions sometimes attack animals raised on farms. When that happens, some farmers place poison inside the carcasses of their livestock (see Toxic Meal). The farmers’ goal is to kill lions that return to eat the body. But the poison also kills vultures that come to feed. As a result, Africa’s vulture populations have plummeted.

The situation is serious. “Many species could go extinct within 10 years if we don’t do something,” says Buechley.  

Now vultures face a similar issue across Africa. There, lions sometimes attack livestock. Some farmers put poison inside the dead farm animal’s body (see Toxic Meal). The lions return to eat the animal. Farmers hope the poison kills them. But vultures also feed on the body. The poison kills them too. Africa’s vulture numbers have fallen as a result.

The situation is serious. “Many species could go extinct within 10 years if we don’t do something,” says Buechley. 

There are ways people can help vultures. Governments can pass laws to ban certain toxic substances. Breeding programs can also help boost the birds’ numbers.

Both of those efforts helped save the California condor, a vulture native to the western U.S. For decades, the birds were poisoned after eating animals shot by toxic lead bullets. By 1982, only 23 birds were left.

There are ways people can help vultures. Officials can pass laws to ban certain toxic substances. Breeding the birds can also help boost their numbers.

Both of those efforts helped save the California condor. That’s a type of vulture. It lives in the western U.S. The birds were poisoned for years. They’d been eating animals shot by toxic lead bullets. Only 23 birds were left by 1982.

So conservationists began breeding condors and releasing them into the wild. Lead bullets were also banned in some areas. Today, there are more than 400 condors soaring above the American west. 

If vultures were to disappear, humans would have to figure out how to dispose of dead animals. And so far, there are no good ideas. “The best way is to keep vulture populations healthy,” Buechley says. That way, they can keep up their grisly but crucial job.    

So experts began raising condors. Then they released them into the wild. Some areas also banned lead bullets. Today, more than 400 condors live in the American west.

What would happen if vultures totally disappeared? People would have to figure out how to get rid of dead animals. And there are no good ideas so far. “The best way is to keep vulture populations healthy,” Buechley says. That way, they can keep doing their gross but useful job.