Across Africa, vulture populations have been declining at alarming rates. Of the continent’s eight vulture species, the birds’ numbers have plummeted an average of 62 percent over the past 30 years due to poaching (the vultures’ brains are widely believed to have magical powers), pesticide consumption, and diminishing habitats due to urbanization. As “nature’s most important scavengers,” vultures’ livelihood affects Africa’s entire ecosystem, the creatures consuming carcasses that would have otherwise plagued the continent’s landscape.
Some solutions to this unfortunate situation are more active measures being taken against poachers, the decrease of harmful pesticide use, and the limitation of urban sprawl. The primary barrier to these solutions, obviously, is the lack of human acknowledgement and participation. I think that the decline in the scavengers’ populations is extremely worrisome and the virtually nonexistent efforts to combat it are sad. It seems that humans refuse to acknowledge their shortcomings until they experience their tragic effects on the world around them.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/07/150731-vultures-africa-birds-animals-science/
I completely agree with Kelcey’s statement “the virtually nonexistent efforts to combat it {vulture decline} are sad”. It flabbergasts me to know that vultures are virtually extinct in India and the huge costs the Indian government had to pay, but yet we are allowing the same situation to occur in Africa.
ReplyDeleteForemost, I believe regulations should be placed on pesticides that have been so catastrophic to these animals. Small farmers (the ones who place pesticides to kill animals) should not be able to access these chemicals. In addition, as a very scientifically advanced society, surely we have green alternatives that do not cause harmful impacts on animal populations. If we are able to spread this product to third-world countries, then many of the premature vulture deaths can be eliminated.
While I believe that public awareness can be beneficial, simply informing the people of the issue is not going solve it. If we could make urban areas more vulture friendly, such as by adding posts that allow them to have nests (like America does with Eagle nests), then the threat of urban sprawl on the population should be minimal. Vultures are such a crucial aspect of every ecosystem; we need to push to preserve them while we still can.
I agree with Kelcey when she states that vultures are " nature's most important scavengers." Vultures are our most important scavengers because they feed on the bodies of decayed animals, which would otherwise plague our world with diseases and illnesses. If it were not for the vultures, we would all be dead because of the diseases that can came from decayed animals.
ReplyDeleteMeasures should be taken immediately in order to preserve these animals because if they all go extinct, then what would happen to the world around us with all the decayed carcasses and bodies of dead animals? The world should take notice of the effects that this may have on the world as a whole, but they don't.
I think that it’s sad that people are killing a Vulture just for its brain. I think that they should create a park that is free of pesticides that kill the Vultures. The park could be like some of the ones that we have in the US. In the national parks in the US it is illegal to hunt in so the poachers would not be able to harm them. The only problem is that parks like the national parks aren’t cheap.
ReplyDeleteI think that it’s sad that people are killing a Vulture just for its brain. I think that they should create a park that is free of pesticides that kill the Vultures. The park could be like some of the ones that we have in the US. In the national parks in the US it is illegal to hunt in so the poachers would not be able to harm them. The only problem is that parks like the national parks aren’t cheap.
ReplyDelete