09/05/2026
We interrupt this flight to bring you an important message.
Today is Vulture Awareness Day, and although the story we're about to tell is troubling, we want to highlight a recent global issue affecting this important species.
In the 1990s, farmers in India began using an affordable painkiller to treat sick cattle, benefiting both their finances and their animals. However, people did not realize that this medicine would later cause kidney failure in vultures that fed on the cattle after they died.
As a result, India’s vulture population dropped from 50 million to almost none. Animal carcasses were left untouched, stray dogs moved in and spread rabies, and bacteria levels in drinking water more than doubled. Researchers estimate that this chain of events led to about 100,000 extra human deaths each year between 2000 and 2005.
No one intended for this to happen, but it shows that even small actions can have big consequences. Protecting wildlife should include all species, because every animal plays a part that can impact us in the end.
We are lucky to be home to two vulture species at EPZ. Hoover, our black vulture, interacts with guests through our Education Programs and raises awareness of the species’ importance with every flyover. Stan can be found at our new Defenders exhibit across from Harmony Hideaway, where you can read about her amazing “superpowers.”
