By Shivangi Mishra
Vultures are nature’s cleaning crew, they help keep the environment clean and healthy by consuming the carcasses before they decay and spread diseases. They are an ecologically important group of birds that face a wide range of threats such as the use of diclofenac — an anti-inflammatory drug used in cattle. Many vulture species are endangered or critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
The International Vulture Awareness Day celebration occurs every year on the first Saturday in September. The day not only raises awareness regarding the declining trend in Vulture numbers but also educates the public regarding their importance.
This year, 94 organizations from 30 different countries signed up to IVAD to take part in educational and fundraising activities for vultures across the world for 2023.
The Arctic Institute of North America, University of Calgary, also registered for the celebration of IVAD-2023, and on September 2, Dr. Shivangi Mishra delivered a talk on vultures amongst the research community of the University of Calgary. Dr Mishra also discussed her Ph.D. research work which was on Egyptian Vultures in India. It was an interactive session where researchers from different areas asked questions about the vultures and the causes of their decline in many parts of the world.
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