The decline of vultures has had severe consequences on human health and the economy. An analysis from the US and UK shows that areas affected by vulture loss experienced a significant increase in mortality rates, leading to substantial economic damages.
CONSEQUENCES OF VULTURE DECLINE
The decline of vultures has had dire consequences. Without vultures, decaying flesh led to the spread of disease and a boom in other scavengers, such as rabid dogs.
Human Mortality and Economic Costs
Environmental economists Eyal Frank, from the University of Chicago, and Anant Sudarshan, from the University of Warwick in the UK, quantified the human toll of this ecosystem catastrophe. They found that districts affected by vulture loss had an average increase in all-cause human deaths of 4.7% from 2000 to 2005. This resulted in more than 100,000 extra deaths each year and an annual economic cost of $69.4 billion.
Data and Methodology
The researchers used data from various sources, including vulture habitat data from BirdLife International, drug sales in India, human health outcomes, and livestock census data. Districts affected by vulture loss were defined as those where suitable vulture habitat converged with diclofenac use in livestock.
ROLE OF VULTURES IN ECOSYSTEM HEALTH
Vultures play a crucial role in maintaining ecosystem health. They are thorough scavengers, meticulously cleaning carcasses down to the bone. This efficiency prevents the spread of diseases carried by other scavengers, such as dogs and rats, who are messy eaters and disease carriers.
Vultures and Sanitation
Vultures can strip a cow skeleton in 40 minutes. This efficiency became their downfall when the veterinary drug diclofenac was introduced in India in 1994. The vulture population plummeted from 50 million to a few thousand in just ten years.
Impact of Diclofenac
Diclofenac, used to treat cattle, remains in a cow’s system for around three days. Sick cows that die before metabolizing the drug become poisonous to vultures. Diclofenac damages vultures’ kidneys, leading to uric acid buildup and death.
NEED FOR CONSERVATION POLICY
The authors hope that these findings will push policymakers to protect essential species like vultures. Vultures, often considered ‘dirty’ due to their association with death, provide vital ecosystem services that benefit human survival.
Progress and Challenges
Progress has been made with the introduction of veterinary drug alternatives like meloxicam and tolfenamic acid, which are not toxic to vultures. However, other anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ketoprofen, nimesulide, and aceclofenac, remain in use despite their toxicity to vultures.
Future Directions
Conservation policies must focus on protecting species that provide critical ecosystem services. Subjective existence values alone may not be sufficient to drive conservation efforts. Objective data, like the economic and health impacts of species loss, should inform policy decisions.
The decline of vultures has had a profound impact on human health and the economy. Protecting these essential scavengers is crucial for maintaining ecosystem balance and preventing further human mortality and economic losses. Continued research and effective conservation policies are needed to safeguard the vital role vultures play in our environment.
