T he vulture is a very patient bird. It is waiting patiently for its next flight, which may very well be into oblivion. Meanwhile, experts try and figure out what is killing the vulture. Ornithologists fear that India's vulture populations have declined in recent times. The vulture has a host of enemies today. Pesticides, as a study conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment ( cse ) has shown, may be an important one. Yet there were sounds of uncertainty in some conservation circles about the study.

Wildlife lovers are not very fond of the vulture, because it has no spots, nor stripes or tusks. Among the bold and the beautiful animals worldwide it does not attract the funds set aside for nature conservation because it sticks out like a sore thumb. The vulture, therefore, cannot figure out who the enemy really is: pesticides, pollution or the plain hot air generated in lecture rooms and conference halls by