ABC News reports that vultures in South Asia have been driven to "the brink of extinction" -- their numbers have plummeted by 97 percent -- because of an anti-inflammatory drug used widely in cows. The drug isn't toxic to mammals, but it's killing the birds in droves. And if you think vultures don't matter, think again:
Normally flocks of vultures — there are three main varieties in the region — then quickly devour the carcasses and reduce them to a tidy pile of bones. But today, with populations nearly extinct, the dead animals often rot. The deteriorating flesh attracts wild animals, such as feral dogs, cats and rats, which then flourish and pose a risk for attack on people.The rotting carcasses also become breeding grounds for diseases such as anthrax.
"If a carcass is unconsumed for a day, anthrax within the animal has a chance to form spores, and these spores are incredibly resistant," said Rick Watson of the Peregrine Fund in Boise, Idaho. "That's how the disease spreads. So you set yourself up for increased incidence of disease — both animal and human."
The only solution may be a captive-breeding program. Sound familiar?
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