In the early 1990s, the painkiller diclofenac became widely used in livestock across India, unbeknownst to farmers that its small residues would be fatal to vultures. The rapid decline of the three most common vulture species resulted in a staggering accumulation of carcasses throughout the region, leading to a public health crisis. Researchers attribute 500,000 excess deaths over five years to the consequences of this ecological disruption, highlighting the critical role of vultures in maintaining health and hygiene in the environment.
The introduction of diclofenac as a livestock painkiller led to the rapid extinction of vultures in India, causing a public health crisis due to carcass accumulation.
India's dependence on vultures for carcass disposal became evident after their rapid decline, leading to the shocking statistic of 500,000 additional deaths attributed to their disappearance.
Collection
[
|
...
]