Human activities are pushing vultures to brink of extinction

A conservationist rescues a vulture in Naivasha, Nakuru County. [Courtesy]

On the first Saturday of September every year, the world celebrates International Vulture Awareness Day to raise awareness about the plight of vultures.

These magnificent birds are staring at a bleak future with their populations having declined catastrophically by up to 97 per cent for some species over the last 50 years. While vultures are often viewed as sinister, signifying bad tidings, or even death, the vital role that they play in the environment is irreplaceable.