.png)
India’s ecological and public health systems continue to grapple with the long-term consequences of the collapse of vulture populations—a crisis that began in the early 1990s and has since cascaded into a nationwide stray dog and disease emergency.
Vultures, once numbering nearly 40 million across India, declined precipitously within just a few years. The cause was traced to diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory drug intended for human use. After the drug’s patent expired, inexpensive generic versions became widely available and were increasingly used in veterinary medicine. When livestock treated with diclofenac died, vultures feeding on contaminated carcasses were poisoned, leading to mass mortality and pushing the species to the brink of extinction.
Vultures are a keystone species, essential for maintaining ecological health. A single flock can strip a 400-kilogram buffalo c...
 (1).jpg)
 (1).jpg)
 (1).jpg)
 (1).jpg)
 (1).jpg)
