Jan. 30, 2013 A first ever study of the range and habits of
white-backed vultures across southern Africa shows that they
often shun national parks, preferring to forage further afield
on private farmland. This behaviour and their tendency to
scavenge in groups, means that vultures risk encountering dead
cattle that have been administered veterinary drugs that are
poisonous to them, or even poisoned carcasses intended to
control other carnivores such as jackals. The research, using
Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite transmitters to track
the movements of adolescent vultures, is published in the
journal PLOS ONE. The white-backed vulture is a widespread but
declining species in Africa and it is now listed as endangered.
In India, several vulture species are on the verge of extinction
due to accidental poisoning from cattle carcasses that contain
anti-inflammatory drugs administered by farmers. These drugs are
non-lethal to cattle yet fatal to vultures. There is a concern
that these drugs could become mor