Vultures

In News

• Recently, a study by the University Of York in the UK has noted that the Vultures mostly forage outside Protected Areas (PAs) and if threats such as poison-laced carcasses are removed from these places, the decline in vulture populations can be stemmed. 

About Vultures

• Vultures are scavenging birds found throughout the world except for Australia and other oceanic islands.
• These birds are generally classified into two different types: the Old World vultures and the New World vultures.
• They have played a beneficial role in the ecosystem by consuming carcasses and rotting flesh, keeping the disease transmission rate low.
  • Some parts of the world, especially Asia, allow carcasses of domestic animals to be disposed of by these birds.
• IUCN Status: Out of the 22 vulture species, 9 are “Critically Endangered”, 3 are “Endangered”, 4 are “Near Threatened”, and 6 are “Least Concern”.

Source: DTE