Feral dogs (Canis familiaris) at animal waste dump feed from carcasses amongst House Crows, Rajasthan, India
Nine species of vulture can be found living in India, but most are now in danger of extinction after a rapid and major population collapse in recent recently as the 1980s there were up to 80 million white-rumped vultures (Gyps bengalensis) in India; but today the population numbers only several thousand. The cause of the rapid plunge in the population was initially unclear, but in 2003 was traced to the anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac, which is lethal to vultures when they consume the carcasses of dead animals treated with it. Vultures previously played an important role in public sanitation in India and their disappearance has resulted in a number of problems, and as such numerous conservation schemes are in place to assist in the recovery of vulture populations.
Size: 5159px × 3466px
Location: Rajasthan, India
Photo credit: © Dominic Robinson / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: None
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