While catching up on months and months and months worth of ASofterWorld I came across this collection of wonderful non-fiction stories from 2011. This is the first on the list, and it's fascinating.
The three species of Gyps vultures were dying from ingesting livestock carcasses treated with diclofenac, a mild painkiller akin to aspirin or ibuprofen. After taking it themselves for decades, Indians began using it in the early 1990s to ease the aches of their farm animals' cracked hooves and swollen udders. For reasons that remain unknown, vultures that feed on animals treated with diclofenac develop visceral gout—untreatable kidney failure that causes a crystallized bloom across their internal organs. Death occurs within weeks.
-It's amazing to me that the same substance that humans can safely ingest can wipe out an entire species of bird. Could it be that the diclofenac somehow transforms once ingested by livestock? Could it be that it isn't so safe for humans?Since the collapse of the vulture population, the number of feral dogs in India has risen by 30 percent. In a country that already accounts for nearly three-quarters of rabies deaths worldwide, dogs pose a serious health risk.
-The consequences of a species disappearing is often not what you would think. I wouldn't have guessed that a disappearance of vultures could account for an increase in rabies in humans. Mother nature.... she's requires an unforeseen balance.
Yeah, I was absolutely fascinated by the whole thing. Vultures are sort of one of those things I haven't thought about in years and years - they're not really prevalent at all (at least where I am). As soon as I opened up the article and saw the pictures I was struck by their odd beauty. It's sad that something so integral - and mostly not recognised for their importance - is dying out in such a way. As for the painkiller, it's interesting that it only affects vultures - everything else that feeds off those cattle is fine. Fascinating yet sad sort of coincidence that their main food source has been unintentionally poisoned with something that affects only them.