As the circle of life plays out in the wild, every creature has its place in the food chain. There are predators and prey, but the cycle doesn’t end there. Often, after a hunt, a scavenger comes along, feeding on leftovers and providing an essential service to the forest’s citizens. Scavengers often get a bad rap for being “unclean”, but they’re quite the opposite. Creatures like scavenging birds and mammals, and even some crustaceans, act as “forest cleaners”. They play an important role in the ecosystem, cleaning up decaying biomass and keeping the wilderness free of infection.
Greater Adjutant (Stork)
Sporting a few scraggly feathers on an otherwise bald head and a flapping orange pouch on its neck, the greater adjutant is a rather unusual looking stork. It stands tall at nearly five feet, has a huge wingspan, and a thick, long beak. These scavenger birds feed on carrion and carcasses and on garbage dumps. While scavenger birds can effectively dispose of bones and flesh, it’s common for bits of food to cling to feathers on their head and neck, possibly leading to disease. The greater adjutant stork’s featherless head is an adaptation that helps keep it clean while feeding. Once abundant across India, its population has declined considerably, and it is now mainly seen in Assam.
Cover Photo: A resident of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the coconut or robber crab is the world’s largest land crab. Cover photo: Umeed Mistry and Tasneem Khan
Striped Hyena
Striped hyenas are shy and hard to spot nocturnal animals known primarily as scavengers. These animals play an important role in maintaining the equilibrium of the ecosystem. With strong jaws and teeth, hyenas can crush bones and cartilage along with flesh. They leave very little of a carcass behind, effectively cleaning up an area of decomposing matter. Hyenas inhabit scrub forests and arid and semi-arid ecosystems across much of peninsular India.
Vultures
Vultures were a common sight across India, even in the cities, thirty years ago. These scavenger birds efficiently clean up roadkill, cattle carcasses, and any carrion, leaving behind a clean and healthy environment. These large raptors occupy high perches, and spot a potential meal with their keen vision and heightened sense of smell. They often circle over open fields and woodlands, and swoop down to polish off any bits of flesh and bone lying around. Unfortunately, vulture populations have declined drastically in India. You’ll no longer spot their regal silhouette in the city, and even in the wilderness, they are critically endangered.
Photo: Dhritiman Mukherjee
Coconut Crab
Many species of crabs are scavengers. In India, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are home to the coconut crab, a massive terrestrial crustacean. Like the name suggests, these creatures can feed on coconuts by cracking them open with their enormous pincers. They scuttle up coconut trees on the islands, dislodge fruits, and feed on the soft insides. In addition to fallen fruit, nuts, and seeds, the crabs scavenge for any bits of food they can find, including the carcasses of rodents, tortoises, smaller crabs, and even the remains of other coconut crabs.
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