India, Dec. 31 -- Gaushalas (Cattle Shelters) in Rajasthan have taken some welcome steps to help save vultures. Most of them have stopped using veterinary drugs that are toxic to vultures. They have also stopped burying dead cattle, according to a statement by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS).

Vultures play an important role in cleaning the environment and preventing diseases. The population of these scavengers has gone extremely down. One of the important causes of decline in their population is the veterinary use of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs). These drugs are usually given to the cattle. When such cattle die and the vultures feed on the carcass, it affects their liver and kidneys, leading to kidney failure (...