Jodhpur, May 7 -- From January 2022 to 2023, the Egyptian vultures visiting the Keru Dump Site near Jodhpur showed numerous injuries, including beak deformities and missing limbs, according to a study by Jai Narayan Vyas University researchers. These findings, published in the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society (2025), mark the first time such abnormalities have been recorded not only in this species but also among vultures globally. The Egyptian vulture, a small scavenging species listed as "Endangered" on the IUCN Red List since 2007, relies heavily on its beak and claws to access food. At the Keru site, researchers observed 12 vultures with visible beak fractures, deformities, and leg injuries. While some birds showed damage to the upper or lower beak, others had lost portions of their legs - likely the result of entanglement in waste materials or collisions with man-made structures near the dump site. Though the injured birds did not appear malnourished, their isolation from feeding zones raised serious concerns about long-term survival and reproductive success. Assistant professor Ram Prakash Saran, lead author of the study from the Department of Zoology at JNV University, said: "To the best of our knowledge, these are reported for the first time among the vultures also. So, all the birds presented here with damaged beaks corresponded to new records for the world," he stated in the paper. The research suggested that while some of the injuries might be due to collisions with power infrastructure or accidents involving municipal waste, there is also the possibility of environmental contaminants or infections causing tissue or keratin damage. Although vultures are known for their resilience to disease due to a highly acidic digestive system and robust immune adaptations, the study emphasised the need for microbiome analysis to rule out underlying pathogens. According to the researchers, the Keru Dump Site, a combination of municipal waste, medical and household waste zone and informal vulture feeding ground, has become a focal point for scavenger birds in the region. However, its proximity to electrical poles and unregulated waste appears to pose significant hazards. The researchers highlighted the urgent need for improved waste management practices and modifications to infrastructure that could prevent such injuries in the future. Emphasising the importance of continued surveillance, the researcher urged ornithologists and conservationists to closely monitor other vulture habitats for similar injuries and report their findings. Municipal corporation executive engineer Praveen Gehlot said: "A long-term plan has been prepared for the Keru Dumping Site to conserve not only vultures but also the environment. There is also a plan to plant 10,000 trees."...