Threatened African vultures may be ugly, but we need them
When considering threatened African wildlife, charismatic species such as the rhino, lion, or elephant get a lot of global attention. But BirdLife International, an organization that connects bird conservationists worldwide, says African vultures deserve some of the spotlight too.
BirdLife suggests poachers are deliberately targeting African vultures because the birds circle dead animals and often alert authorities to wild animals that were killed illegally. Their decline is also likely caused by habitat loss, feeding on poisoned livestock, and being hunted by locals for their use in traditional medicine.
Although most people lack much compassion for the vulture, conservationists say it will be bad news for everyone if the vultures disappear. Not only will the African landscape be riddled with decaying carcasses, but the populations of other, peskier scavengers such as rats and jackals could increase.聽
鈥淰ultures are important. They come in, they clean up and they leave,鈥� told the Guardian. 鈥淥ther scavengers like rats and jackals will eat a carcass and then will go after livestock or become a pest to humans. And if vultures are removed, their numbers can increase.鈥�
By removing carcasses from the landscape that other species normally would avoid, African vultures act as 鈥溾�� preventing the spread of diseases between animals and humans. Unfortunately, vultures 鈥� relating to death, decay, and maliciousness,鈥� says BirdLife International.
Just in the last 30 years, the number of vultures in West Africa has declined by 95 percent outside of protected areas and only about 100 breeding pairs of bearded vultures are left in South Africa, reports BirdLife.
But conservationists say the African vulture is not doomed. As 海角大神 reported in 2004, the Asian vulture once faced a 92 to 99 percent population decline because of a prevalent veterinary drug. Countries such as Bangladesh, India and Nepal the plight of the Asian vulture in 2012, and the population has witnessed a gradual rebound.
鈥淵our support for these is vital,鈥� said Roger Safford, BirdLife鈥檚 Preventing Extinctions Program Coordinator.聽
This report contains material from the Associated Press.
