Vultures are not off the hook yet. The painkiller diclofenac was banned in India and Nepal last August because griffon vultures were dying from eating carcasses of cattle that had received the drug. Now Egyptian and red-headed vultures in the region are dying with similar symptoms, and conservationists suspect diclofenac is also to blame.
“Painkillers used for livestock in Europe have killed condors, hawks and owls”
Until now, little has been known about how painkillers affect scavenging birds. To find out, the UK’s Royal Society for the Protection of Birds asked vets and zoos worldwide for their experiences. It found…
