Cypriot vulture threatened with extinction

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Paphos Life
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Cypriot vulture threatened with extinction

Post by Paphos Life »

Even though vultures were once a common sight in Cyprus, currently they are threatened with extinction with only 22 birds remaining on the island. Most of them are vultures that have been recently imported from Spain to strengthen the extremely diminished Cypriot population. This was once again stressed by the group "LIFE with Vultures," which ...

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Kili01
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Re: Cypriot vulture threatened with extinction

Post by Kili01 »

I've been following this saga. Initially the islands vultures were rendered virtually extinct. As the article says by the combined effects of poisoned carcases of animals which as scavengers they eat, but also exacerbated by hunters taking pot shots at them. Then a few years ago the first batch of young vultures were given by Crete to Cyprus, then followed by a second one. But sadly the same history repeats itself. Now a third batch was reported as coming from Spain. But the problem remains, unless hunters and farmers in the areas where the vultures are released as a hopefully breeding colony, refrain from destroying them, what chance is there of success? They must go to a wild, largely uninhabited area like say Akamas. But only if hunters are banned and farmers and others stop laying poison bait.
Very sad,evenif personally I don't like them. They thrive in India, where presumably they aren't shot or poisoned. Also the Parsee funerary rites involve laying out their dead in cemetery areas.. where the vultures clean them.

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Devil
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Re: Cypriot vulture threatened with extinction

Post by Devil »

Kili01 wrote: Tue Dec 06, 2022 6:10 pm They thrive in India, where presumably they aren't shot or poisoned. Also the Parsee funerary rites involve laying out their dead in cemetery areas.. where the vultures clean them.
I'd be quite happy to have my body devoured by vultures, provided I was dead! What we seem to forget is that there were two species of vulture on this island in the 1950s, with over 100 altogether (I don't know the proportions). Unfortunately, there is one animal responsible for their demise, Latin name Homo sapiens. I have recounted the story of the donkey that died a few hundred metres from where I was living in 1952. The following day, there were only bones to be seen. In my mind's eye, I would guess that there were about 20 vultures arriving about half an hour or so after the animal collapsed.

We no longer leave dead animals lying where they drop, strictly for the birds!
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