Nick Lindsay, International Zoo Programmes

Why do vultures eat mice?

Vultures eat mice because they are carnivorous birds. However they will only feed on animals which are already dead. This is a very good thing because they act as ‘dustbins’, as they clean up the environment, which a very important role to play.

Why do owls eat mice?

Owls eat mice too, but, unlike vultures, they’ll catch them alive. They hunt them at night as they are nocturnal birds. Owls’ role is also very important as they keep farmyards clean.

Are vultures dangerous?

Vultures only feed on carcasses. They are actually very nervous and careful animals and always make sure that their preys are dead before they eat them. So, no, they are not dangerous birds.

Why do they have a wattle on their bill?

The vultures you are looking at are from South America. The structure of their face is used to display sex differences: the male’s wattle is larger. Also, South America vultures -or New World vultures- are more brightly coloured and usually work in pairs. Several species have a very good sense of smell, which is unusual for raptors.
Their ‘Old World’ counterparts (from Asia, Africa and Europe) find carcasses exclusively by eyesight and have feathers around their neck which help them keep flies away. Also they live and work in huge colonies, not in pairs, especially the Indian and the Nepalese ones. A cattle’s carcass can be dealt with in a matter of minutes.

Is it true that vultures are disappearing in Asia? Why?

Unfortunately it is true. ZSL is working in India and Nepal, where we are advising the local farmers, sharing what our researchers are discovering over here. Only recently the locals have understood the important role the vultures have in the ecosystem. The vulture population in India used to be of over 40,000,000 but has now dwindled down to a few tens of thousands: a decrease of 99%! The main reason is poisoning by the drug dicoflenac which is given to cattle when it’s old or ill so that they can keep working for longer. Cows are also sacred animals, the decline in vultures has led to hygiene problems in India as carcasses of dead animals now tend to rot, or be eaten by rats or wild dogs, rather than be tidied up by vultures. Rabies among these scavengers is a major health threat. India has the world's highest rate of rabies. The disappearance of vultures causes particular problems for certain communities, such as the Parsi, who practice sky burials, where the human dead are put on the top of Towers of Silence and are eaten by vultures, leaving only dry bones. Thanks to the work of scientists such as the ZSL ones, farmers are now changing the drug they are using for cattle, switching to meloxican, which is safe for vultures. Also, the bones of the dead animals, thoroughly cleaned by the vultures, to the point of shining, are now being ground and use as fertilizers.