How half a million people died in India due to the extinction of one bird: explanation of a biologist

Scott Travers, an American evolutionary biologist from Rutgers University, explained how half a million people died in India because of the extinction of a single bird. This horrific case clearly showed how important it is to preserve every species in the ecosystem.

The catastrophic decline in the number of vultures in India was the fastest in bird populations ever recorded in the world. Their almost complete disappearance on the Indian subcontinent provoked a catastrophic chain reaction – the spread of deadly diseases, which led to a public health emergency, Forbes writes.

According to scientists, until the 1990s, India had many vultures, represented by three main species that existed in the same ecological niche. However, by 2007, their number had decreased by 97%-99.9%.

Diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug widely used in livestock production, was the cause of the vultures' catastrophic extinction, experts say. While safe for livestock, it turned out to be a deadly poison for vultures that consumed the carcasses of domestic animals – one diclofenac-treated carcass could poison dozens of birds.

According to scientists, the almost complete disappearance of just one type of bird, the vulture, upset the balance in India's natural ecosystem and set off a deadly chain reaction. After all, the disappearance of vultures freed up an ecological niche for wild dogs and rats, which multiplied rapidly.

However, whereas vultures use their strong stomach acids to neutralize deadly bacteria in rotten meat, dogs, and rats turned out to be "ineffective" vultures and became spreaders of dangerous diseases.

Statistics show that, firstly, the number of rabies cases has increased dramatically – 47,300 Indians died due to bites from rabid dogs between 1992 and 2006.

The second problem was that the decomposed corpses of animals that were not eaten by vultures contaminated water sources, spreading diseases such as anthrax, tuberculosis, and brucellosis.

Researchers estimate that between 2000 and 2005, more than 100,000 people died annually as a result. That is, during these five years, and for this reason alone, the death toll in India totaled about half a million people.

"The vulture crisis serves as a vivid reminder of how deeply interconnected ecosystems are. The loss of one species has led to public health emergencies, economic losses, and human tragedies," said biologist Scott Travers.

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