The challenge

In the early 2000’s, the consumption of cattle carcasses by vultures that had previously received the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory diclofenac (NSAID), led to a higher than 95% decline of vulture populations across the Indian subcontinent. Since then, efforts to identify further pharmaceutical contaminants and susceptible species have intensified, but remain focused in Asia, and more recently in Europe.  

Avian scavengers such as vultures, provide essential ecosystem services including pest population control, nutrient cycling and disease spread prevention. 

Despite a burgeoning livestock agricultural sector and a number of threatened avian scavengers, little attention has so far been paid to the potential threat of NSAIDs in South America. Nevertheless, findings in 2023 of the NSAID flunixin in Andean condors (Vultur gryphus) highlights the urgent need for further investigation into the routes of exposure and the identification of at-risk scavenging species.  

Identities of avian scavenger species within South America are known primarily through observational studies, and anecdotal reports. However, no previous study in South America has attempted to quantify the species composition during feeding events at livestock carcasses. The nature of exposure of avian scavenging species to contaminated carcasses is therefore not fully clear, nor the frequency with which these species use such food sources.

What we're doing

Our project aims to develop an AI-based method to identify avian species that arrive at livestock carcass scavenging events automatically from remote video recordings, simultaneously collecting data on arrival/departure time and individual frequencies.  

How it helps

Our research will characterise the role that livestock carcasses play in avian scavenger diets and identify at-risk species in South America. In combination with our ongoing research into NSAID drug use by veterinarians, this project will facilitate the generation of a risk map across Argentina, identifying regions both used by scavenging species and veterinary NSAID usage. Furthermore, identification of scavenging species utilizing livestock carcasses will allow for better-targeted pharmacovigilance. 

Longer term, our project will help to bring awareness of veterinary pharmaceutical poisoning of avian scavengers and promote sustainable non-toxic alternative NSAIDs in the livestock agricultural sector, facilitating both wildlife conservation and continued improvements to livestock animal welfare.  

Investigators

• Dr Irene Bueno Padilla, Bristol Veterinary School 
• Dr Laszlo Talas, Bristol Veterinary School 
• Dr Ce Zhang, School of Geographical Sciences 
• Dr Nicola Rooney, Bristol Veterinary School 
• Dr Neill Campbell, School of Computer Science 
• Kane Colston, Bristol Veterinary School