A white-headed vulture (Trigonoceps occipitalis) in Tanzania. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler, 2007.
Vultures are rarely people’s favorite animals, yet they play a big role by devouring the bodies of the dead. Despite their ecological importance as scavnegers, many species of vultures are endangered especially in Asia. A cattle-drug called diclofenac is blamed for population crashes in India and Pakistan, causing some species to drop by as much as 99 percent. Extinction is a very real threat.
For more information on declining vultures:
Drug use blamed as vulture population crashes 99% in India and Pakistan.