Feature image: A critically endangered long-billed vulture with its distinct semi-bald head
Often seen as nature’s scavengers, vultures have long been misjudged as unsightly creatures with little appreciation beyond their role in cleaning up the environment. Their bald heads and habit of feasting on dead carcasses may not inspire admiration, but these birds are far more remarkable than their appearance suggests. In ancient Egypt, they were symbols of protection, motherhood, and royalty—so revered that female pharaohs, high-ranking priestesses, and royal wives adorned themselves with vulture crowns (a headdress in the shape of a vulture draped over the head, wings hanging down the sides).
Even today, vultures remain culturally important. In India’s Parsi communities, the deceased are placed in the Tower of Silence, where vultures consume the flesh—a practice that dates back millennia. Yet, despite their historical, cultural, and ecological importance, 61 percent of vulture populations globally are threatened with extinction, including those in Asia.
Emerging threats
To better understand the current challenges to vulture survival, we carried out a study in the Deccan Plateau of Telangana state, India. Our findings reveal both concerning trends and emerging threats to these critically endangered birds. We found that toxic wastewater discharge from the paper industry is a key factor negatively influencing the breeding success of long-billed vultures.
Our study highlights urgent conservation needs and why protecting these birds matters beyond their intrinsic value. We recommend strict measures to filter hazardous substances from toxic waste discharged by the Sirpur Paper Industry in Telangana state. We also need detailed toxicological studies on vulture carcasses to better understand how industrial discharge and continued diclofenac use in cattle—despite the drug being banned due to its severe toxicity to vultures and other scavenging birds—are affecting local vulture populations.
The broader implications of vulture decline extend to human health and safety. The loss of vultures has led to a rise in feral dog populations, which are also carriers of rabies. Livestock carcasses, once a key food source for vultures, are now increasingly consumed by dogs, whose populations have grown dramatically. Studies in India have observed a strong relationship between vulture declines and increasing numbers of feral dogs, underscoring vultures’ crucial role not only in maintaining ecological balance but also in reducing the risk of rabies transmission to humans.
Our study reveals a new emerging threat in the form of hazardous industrial substances greatly affecting these critically endangered birds. The Indian government has classified the pulp and paper industry as one of the “notoriously polluting industries”, highlighting its devastating impact on human health and environmental integrity. The toxic industrial wastewater creates a cascade of consequences throughout the entire food web, affecting everything from river ecosystems to cliff-nesting species such as vultures. Immediate action is essential to prevent further environmental decline and protect these culturally and ecologically vital birds and their habitats for future generations.
Further Reading
Ogada, D. L., F. Keesing and M. Z. Virani. 2012. Dropping dead: causes and consequences of vulture population declines worldwide. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1249: 57–71. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2011.06293.x.
Markandya, A., T. Taylor, A. Longo, M. N. Murty, S. Murty and K. Dhavala. 2008. Counting the cost of vulture decline—An appraisal of the human health and other benefits of vultures in India. Ecological Economics 67(2): 194–204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2008.04.020.
Ravikanth, M., A. S. Khan, S. Sathishkumar, N. Baskaran, R. M. Medishetti and A. E. J. Ferdin. 2025. Breeding success of long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus) and its drivers in Deccan Plateau, India. European Journal of Wildlife Research 71: 35. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-025-01909-4. (The open access version of the paper can be accessed here: https://rdcu.be/edbIu).
Ravikanth, M., and N. Baskaran. 2024. Abundance and age structure of critically endangered long-billed (Gyps indicus) and white-rumped (G. bengalensis) vultures at the breeding colonies of Kaghaznagar Forest Division and its adjoining areas in the Deccan Plateau, India. Journal of Biosciences 49: 58. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12038-024-00438-7.
