Vultures are cleaners of our eco-system. Without them unattended carcasses would rot, pollute groundwater and spread diseases. But since the early 9Os, their populations have been plummeting. Are we doing enough to protect them?
About the contributor
Pradeep Hegde
is a conservation filmmaker and a wildlife cameraman with a passion for solution-based storytelling. He also produces films and works in close collaboration with various on-ground conservation teams.
View Profile
Related Content
Habitat
Ramadevarabetta: A Vulture Sanctuary in Rapidly Urbanising Ramanagara
Samuel John
Close to the metropolis of Bangalore, the Ramadevarabetta Vulture Sanctuary is a pristine protected space in which people can learn about reptiles, dragonflies, endangered vultures, and all kinds of other birds
Wild Vault
How Scavengers Keep the Ecosystem Clean
Bhavya Iyer
Vultures and other scavengers not only clear decaying animal corpses, protecting us from disease, but their absence could also destabilise entire ecosystems
Wild Vault
The Vilified Hyena is an Agile and Intelligent Creature
Sustain Team
Though portrayed as cunning and cowardly, the hyena is actually a smart and cooperative scavenger, who cleans up the environment and contains the spread of disease
Video
The Dark Knights: How Hyenas Protect our Ecosystems
Mihir Godbole
Hyenas feed on rotting carcasses, and never leave decaying matter around to spread disease. These misunderstood scavengers are crucial to the health of Saswad’s grasslands
Video
The Grotesque Elegance of the Greater Adjutant
Sustain Team
Udayan Borthakur
The cleaners at the Boragaon garbage dump near Guwahati, get some help from an unlikely crew member, the greater adjutant
Photo Story
It Takes a Village to Raise a Child: Social Life of the Striped Hyena
Radhika Raj
The striped hyena mostly lives a solitary life until a female gives birth to cubs. Then, a clan gathers around to raise them