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一种消灭了大量印第安秃鹫的药物正在威胁着欧洲及非洲的老鹰和秃鹫的生态安全。金鹰因此有可能成为珍稀物种。
印第安兀鹫从20世纪90年代起开始消失。它们死于一种给牛吃的叫做双氯芬酸的止痛药的手中。该药物残留在兀鹫喜食的牛尸体中，随后进入它们的血液从而伤害其肾脏。
如今看来双氯芬酸对老鹰也造成了同样的影响，它们也以牛的尸体为食。然而该药最近被批准在西班牙和意大利使用，两国是欧洲最大数量的秃鹫及老鹰的家园。
秃鹰保护基金会希望在欧洲禁用双氯芬酸并已请愿。但是他们称官员们只同意改变药物的标签以建议不给很可能被秃鹫所食的牛使用。
欧洲曾花重金带回秃鹫和老鹰，并于2012年授权农民将死去的动物放置露天供鸟类啄食。沙玛的同事，英国桑迪皇家鸟类保护学会的托比·加里根称，“我们不认为一个警告就能确保秃鹫和老鹰的安全”。
这样的动物尸体会给老鹰带来特定的威胁。它们的活动范围很广，特别是金雕，而欧洲兀鹫会在有限的地方觅食。毒物学家已计算出一头被药物治疗的牛的肝脏可以杀死15只秃鹫，而老鹰的体积更小，所以很可能更少的量就可以让它们死亡。
A drug that has already obliterated many of India's vultures is now threatening eagles and vultures in Europe and Africa. Golden eagles may be among the species at risk.
India's Gyps vultures began disappearing in the 1990s. They were succumbing to a painkiller called diclofenac， which was given to cattle. The drug lurked in the cattle carcasses that the vultures feasted on， got into the birds' bloodstream and destroyed their kidneys.
Now it seems diclofenac has the same effect on eagles， which also feed on cattle carcasses. Yet the drug has recently been approved for use in Spain and Italy， home to some of Europe's biggest populations of vultures and eagles.
The Vulture Conservation Foundation （VCF） wants diclofenac banned in Europe and has set up a petition. But they say officials are only offering to change the drug's label， to recommend it not be given to cattle that are likely to be eaten by vultures.
Europe has spent millions of euros to bring back vultures and eagles， and in 2012 authorized farmers to leave dead animals out for the birds to eat. " We do not think that a warning will ensure the safety of vultures and eagles，" says Sharma's colleague Toby Galligan of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in Sandy， UK.
Such carcasses may pose a particular threat to eagles. They range widely， particularly golden eagles， whereas European Gyps vultures are restricted to limited feeding places. Toxicologists have calculated that the liver of one treated cow can kill 15 vultures， and eagles are smaller so probably need less to die.
印第安兀鹫从20世纪90年代起开始消失。它们死于一种给牛吃的叫做双氯芬酸的止痛药的手中。该药物残留在兀鹫喜食的牛尸体中，随后进入它们的血液从而伤害其肾脏。
如今看来双氯芬酸对老鹰也造成了同样的影响，它们也以牛的尸体为食。然而该药最近被批准在西班牙和意大利使用，两国是欧洲最大数量的秃鹫及老鹰的家园。
秃鹰保护基金会希望在欧洲禁用双氯芬酸并已请愿。但是他们称官员们只同意改变药物的标签以建议不给很可能被秃鹫所食的牛使用。
欧洲曾花重金带回秃鹫和老鹰，并于2012年授权农民将死去的动物放置露天供鸟类啄食。沙玛的同事，英国桑迪皇家鸟类保护学会的托比·加里根称，“我们不认为一个警告就能确保秃鹫和老鹰的安全”。
这样的动物尸体会给老鹰带来特定的威胁。它们的活动范围很广，特别是金雕，而欧洲兀鹫会在有限的地方觅食。毒物学家已计算出一头被药物治疗的牛的肝脏可以杀死15只秃鹫，而老鹰的体积更小，所以很可能更少的量就可以让它们死亡。
A drug that has already obliterated many of India's vultures is now threatening eagles and vultures in Europe and Africa. Golden eagles may be among the species at risk.
India's Gyps vultures began disappearing in the 1990s. They were succumbing to a painkiller called diclofenac， which was given to cattle. The drug lurked in the cattle carcasses that the vultures feasted on， got into the birds' bloodstream and destroyed their kidneys.
Now it seems diclofenac has the same effect on eagles， which also feed on cattle carcasses. Yet the drug has recently been approved for use in Spain and Italy， home to some of Europe's biggest populations of vultures and eagles.
The Vulture Conservation Foundation （VCF） wants diclofenac banned in Europe and has set up a petition. But they say officials are only offering to change the drug's label， to recommend it not be given to cattle that are likely to be eaten by vultures.
Europe has spent millions of euros to bring back vultures and eagles， and in 2012 authorized farmers to leave dead animals out for the birds to eat. " We do not think that a warning will ensure the safety of vultures and eagles，" says Sharma's colleague Toby Galligan of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in Sandy， UK.
Such carcasses may pose a particular threat to eagles. They range widely， particularly golden eagles， whereas European Gyps vultures are restricted to limited feeding places. Toxicologists have calculated that the liver of one treated cow can kill 15 vultures， and eagles are smaller so probably need less to die.