Vultures: the acid-puking, plague-busting heroes of the ecosystem - Kenny Coogan
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0:07 - 0:09In the grasslands of Mauritania,
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0:09 - 0:14a gazelle suffering from tuberculosis
takes its last breath. -
0:14 - 0:16Collapsing near a small pool,
-
0:16 - 0:20the animal’s corpse
threatens to infect the water. -
0:20 - 0:26But for the desert’s cleanup crew,
this body isn’t a problem: it’s a feast. -
0:26 - 0:28Weighing up to 10 kilograms
-
0:28 - 0:31and possessing a wingspan
of nearly 3 meters, -
0:31 - 0:36the lappet-faced vulture
is the undisputed king of the carcass. -
0:36 - 0:39This bird’s powerful beak and strong neck
-
0:39 - 0:42easily tear through tough hide
and muscle tissue, -
0:42 - 0:47opening entry points
for weaker vultures to dig in. -
0:47 - 0:52This colossal competition is too dangerous
for the tiny Egyptian vulture. -
0:52 - 0:55With a wingspan of only 180 centimeters,
-
0:55 - 0:59this vulture migrated to Africa
from his family nest in Portugal, -
0:59 - 1:04using thermal updrafts to stay aloft
for hours at a time. -
1:04 - 1:08But upon arrival, he finds himself near
the bottom of the pecking order. -
1:08 - 1:13Fortunately, what he lacks in size,
he makes up for in intelligence. -
1:13 - 1:18A short distance away,
he spots an unguarded ostrich nest, -
1:18 - 1:21full of immense, but impenetrable eggs.
-
1:21 - 1:26Using a large rock, he smashes one open
for a well-earned meal— -
1:26 - 1:31though he’ll circle back to the gazelle
once the larger birds are gone. -
1:31 - 1:35High above the commotion
are Ruppell’s Griffon vultures. -
1:35 - 1:39Soaring at an altitude
of over 11,000 meters, -
1:39 - 1:43these birds fly higher
than any other animal. -
1:43 - 1:47At this height, they can’t see
individual carcasses. -
1:47 - 1:51But the sight of their fellow vultures
guides them to the feeding. -
1:51 - 1:53Their featherless heads help them regulate
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1:53 - 1:56the sudden rise in temperature
as they descend— -
1:56 - 2:01and keep them clean
as they tear into the decaying gazelle. -
2:01 - 2:04The carcass is stripped clean in hours,
-
2:04 - 2:07well before the rotting meat
infects the water supply. -
2:07 - 2:12And the tuberculosis doesn’t
stand a chance at infecting the vultures. -
2:12 - 2:17These birds have evolved the lowest
gastric pH in the animal kingdom, -
2:17 - 2:23allowing them to digest diseased
carrion and waste without becoming sick. -
2:23 - 2:26In fact, species like
the mountain-dwelling bearded vulture -
2:26 - 2:28have stomachs so acidic,
-
2:28 - 2:33they can digest most bones
in just 24 hours. -
2:33 - 2:38This adaptation helps smaller vultures
supplement their diet with dung, -
2:38 - 2:43while larger vultures can consume
diseased meat up to 3 days old. -
2:43 - 2:46Their acidic stomachs protect them
from living animals too: -
2:46 - 2:51their rancid vomit
scares off most predators. -
2:51 - 2:55These stomachs of steel are essential
to removing pathogens like cholera, -
2:55 - 2:59anthrax, and rabies
from the African ecosystem. -
2:59 - 3:03But while vultures can easily digest
natural waste, -
3:03 - 3:06man-made chemicals are another story.
-
3:06 - 3:11Diclofenac, a common veterinary drug
used to treat cattle in India, -
3:11 - 3:13is fatal to vultures.
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3:13 - 3:16And because local religious beliefs
prohibit eating beef, -
3:16 - 3:20scavengers often consume cattle carcasses.
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3:20 - 3:22Since the 1990s, the drug,
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3:22 - 3:26along with threats from electricity pylons
and habitat loss, -
3:26 - 3:32has contributed to a 95% decline
in the region’s vulture population. -
3:32 - 3:36In nearby Africa,
poachers intentionally poison carcasses -
3:36 - 3:41to prevent the birds’ presence from
alerting authorities to their location. -
3:41 - 3:46One poisoned carcass can kill
over 500 vultures. -
3:46 - 3:50Today, more than 50% of all vulture
species are endangered. -
3:50 - 3:53In regions where vultures
have gone extinct, -
3:53 - 3:56corpses take three times longer to decay.
-
3:56 - 3:58These carcasses contaminate
drinking water, -
3:58 - 4:03while feral dogs and rats carry
the diseases into human communities. -
4:03 - 4:10The Asian and African Vulture Crisis
has led to an epidemic of rabies in India, -
4:10 - 4:14where infections kill roughly
20,000 people each year. -
4:14 - 4:20Fortunately, some communities have already
realized how important vultures are. -
4:20 - 4:24Conservationists have successfully banned
drugs like Diclofenac, -
4:24 - 4:28while other researchers are working
to repopulate vulture communities -
4:28 - 4:29through breeding programs.
-
4:29 - 4:32Some regions have even opened
vulture restaurants -
4:32 - 4:36where farmers safely dispose
of drug-free livestock. -
4:36 - 4:40With help, vultures will be able
to continue their role -
4:40 - 4:45conserving the health of our planet—
transforming death and decay into life.
- Title:
- Vultures: the acid-puking, plague-busting heroes of the ecosystem - Kenny Coogan
- Speaker:
- Kenny Coogan
- Description:
-
View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/vultures-the-acid-puking-plague-busting-heroes-of-the-ecosystem-kenny-coogan
In the African grasslands, a gazelle suffering from tuberculosis takes its last breath. The animal's corpse threatens to infect the water, but for the vulture, this isn't a problem: it's a feast. With a stomach of steel that can digest diseased meat and waste, vultures are essential to removing dangerous pathogens from ecosystems. Kenny Coogan explores the importance of the desert's cleanup crew.
Lesson by Kenny Coogan, directed by Katarina Jukić.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TED-Ed
- Duration:
- 04:45
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Tara Ahmadinejad edited English subtitles for Vultures: The acid-puking, plague-busting heroes of the ecosystem | ||
Tara Ahmadinejad edited English subtitles for Vultures: The acid-puking, plague-busting heroes of the ecosystem |