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.
鈥淧ainkillers used for livestock in Europe have killed condors, hawks and owls鈥�
Until now, little has been known about how painkillers affect scavenging birds. To find out, the UK鈥檚 Royal Society for the Protection of Birds asked vets and zoos worldwide for their experiences. It found that meloxicam, the drug promoted to replace diclofenac in India, seems safe for most species (Biology Letters, DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2006.0554). However, flunixin and carprofen, used for livestock in Europe, have killed vultures, condors, hawks, owls, rails and a Marabou stork. Ibuprofen and phenylbutazone might also be dangerous. Meanwhile diclofenac remains a risk, especially in South Africa, where ranchers now leave dead cattle out as 鈥渧ulture restaurants鈥�.
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