Vultures circling overhead might seem ominous, but their presence actually signals a functioning ecosystem that protects human health. A troubling new study from Stanford University reveals that 36% of the world’s scavenger populations are threatened or declining, with large specialized scavengers like vultures and hyenas facing the steepest drops. This decline carries serious consequences for human health by potentially increasing the spread of diseases that jump from animals to people. The Stanford research, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, analyzed 1,376 vertebrate scavenger species and found the decline disproportionately affects apex scavengers – large-bodied animals … Continue reading Scavenger Decline Threatens Human Health: 36% of Species at Risk as Disease Carriers Multiply