World Vulture Awareness Day, celebrated annually on September 3( first Saturday of September month), aims to highlight the critical role vultures play in our ecosystems and raise awareness about the threats they face. These often-misunderstood birds are essential scavengers, helping to maintain a healthy environment by clearing away carcasses and preventing the spread of diseases.

The Indian Vulture Crisis was a devastating event that nearly wiped out entire vulture populations in South Asia. The primary cause of this decline was kidney failure induced by the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac, which was widely used to treat pain and inflammation in livestock.   

When vultures consumed the carcasses of animals treated with diclofenac, the drug accumulated in their bodies, leading to acute renal failure and subsequent death. This phenomenon was first noticed in the early 2000s and quickly became a global conservation concern.   

It is extremely horrifying that those who protect us from pandemics are themselves not healthy. Diclofenac must be banned or the species might not be able to survive on Earth anymore.