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Environment
Esther Kettel, Senior Lecturer in Ecology and Conservation, Nottingham Trent University

In defence of vultures, nature's early-warning systems that are holy to many people

Vultures doesn't deserve their bad reputation Eatmann/Shutterstock

With their long, featherless necks and stern-looking faces, vultures are an easy target for people’s fear and loathing. In books and films, they usually appear as a forewarning of bad things to come. And they are often used to describe someone who benefits from the misfortune of others.

But vultures should be celebrated, rather than dreaded. They are more than harbingers of death. They are a symbol of hope and luck in places from Ghana to Chile to Tibet, and, if we let them, they can warn of environmental change and illegal activities.

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