Presumed killers? Vultures, stakeholders, misperceptions, and fake news

LAMBERTUCCI, SERGIO A.; MARGALIDA, ANTONI; SPEZIALE, KARINA L.; AMAR, ARJUN; BALLEJO, FERNANDO; BILDSTEIN, KEITH L.; BLANCO, GUILLERMO; BOTHA, ANDRÉ J.; BOWDEN, CHRISTOPHER G.R.; CORTÉS AVIZANDA, AINARA; DURIEZ, OLIVIER; GREEN, RHYS E.; HIRALDO, FERNANDO; OGADA, DARCY; PLAZA, PABLO; SÁNCHEZ ZAPATA, JOSÉ A.; SANTANGELI, ANDREA; SELVA, NURIA; SPIEGEL, ORR; DONÁZAR, JOSÉ A.

Conservation Science and Practice

Wiley Periodicals LLC

Año: 2021 vol. 3

2578-4854

Vultures and condors are among the most threatened avian species in theworld due to the impacts of human activities. Negative perceptions can contributeto these threats as some vulture species have been historically blamedfor killing livestock. This perception of conflict has increased in recent years,associated with a viral spread of partial and biased information through socialmedia and despite limited empirical support for these assertions. Here, wehighlight that magnifying infrequent events of livestock being injured by vulturesthrough publically shared videos or biased news items negatively impactefforts to conserve threatened populations of avian scavengers. We encourageenvironmental agencies, researchers, and practitioners to evaluate the reliability,frequency, and context of reports of vulture predation, weighing thoseresults against the diverse and valuable contributions of vultures to environmentalhealth and human well-being. We also encourage the development ofawareness campaigns and improved livestock management practices, includingcommonly available nonlethal deterrence strategies, if needed. These actionsare urgently required to allow the development of a more effective conservationstrategy for vultures worldwide.