Most endangered?

[Bellicosus]

Hi again. A friend of mine who works in a National Park in India was telling me about the new Red List from IUCN. They have highlighted the red- headed vulture@pondicherry vulture as the most endangered. How true is this? And is it in more serious threat compared to the Phillipine eagle or Californean Condor?

[HawkMom]

The asian vulture populations are in dire condition. The problem is the anti-inflammatory drugs that are given to cattle. The dead cattle are fed upon by the vultures. The medications cause kidney failure and death in the vultures.

More complete information is available from the Peregrine Fund. Under their 'Asian Vulture Crisis' section. www.peregrinefund.org.

[Bellicosus]

Yup. it's been around for more than a decade already. 3 species have been very badly affected in India and Pakistan. But i didn't know that the Red-headed was in so bad a state.

[BarbaryHawking06]

Hi again. A friend of mine who works in a National Park in India was telling me about the new Red List from IUCN. They have highlighted the red- headed vulture@pondicherry vulture as the most endangered. How true is this? And is it in more serious threat compared to the Phillipine eagle or Californean Condor?

the californian condor is back from the brink of extinction there is a large captive population, there is a growing number in the wild. They are still critically endangered as the wild population is not as large yet to compensate major losses, but when I was in the US in 99, while visiting the Grand Canyon I had one pass right over my head not even 100ft above me, it was amazing :supz:

[Bellicosus]

Wow barbary! Amazing indeed!
I doubt they have them on display in any zoos or parks?

[Tacatanach]

Wow barbary! Amazing indeed!
I doubt they have them on display in any zoos or parks?

They are on display at the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park. They are involved with a lot of the recovery efforts. The p-fund might have some on exhibit along with the Los Angeles zoo, I know they did a number of years ago.

[SimonC]

the oriental white back vulture is known as the living dodo and there are non left in the wild in pakisatn there are only 2 in zoos one at the hawk conservancy and one i belive in america but other wise there are in avairys breeding but only a very small number there is

[Turumti]

The indiscriminate use of diclofenac amongst milch cattle and the disposal of milch cattle carcasses in open fields is to blame for the decline in the vulture populations in India and Pakistan. The cattle are overdosed with diclofenac on a daily basis to produce more milk, then finally when such cattle die or if they are slaughtered, the carcasses and the offal is thrown out into open filed where it is consumed by vultures, black kites, crows and stray dogs. All the residual diclofenac in these carcasses finds its way into the vultures nervous system and digestive system, and ultimately kills it by causing multiple organ failure.

[Tacatanach]

the oriental white back vulture is known as the living dodo and there are non left in the wild in pakisatn there are only 2 in zoos one at the hawk conservancy and one i belive in america but other wise there are in avairys breeding but only a very small number there is

According to GRIN there is still a small colony in Pakistan (as of 2007). WWF are attempting to captive breed this species in Pakistan.

Here is GRIN's country by country account: http://www.globalraptors.org/grin/SpeciesExtended.asp?specID=8262&catID=2007

[Bellicosus]

San Diego! Should have known, they seem to have almost everything!
Truly hope the vulture populations in south Asia bounce back....