Comments on: Comments on 15799

Post number 15799

homunculus — Mon, 25 Mar 2002 12:55:57 -0800

The vultures of India are dying, with a population decline of over 90% in just over the last decade, probably due to an unknown virus. The decline in vultures is a problem for the Parsis of Bombay in particular, who, as Zoroastrians, have come to depend on the vultures to dispose of their dead at the famous Towers of Silence.

By: riffola

riffola — Mon, 25 Mar 2002 13:14:36 -0800

I am not sure how I feel about this. Because in the mid '80s the vultures population had grown so large that they started attacking children playing in the compounds of buildings nearby. A 90% decline is shocking, but a part of it has to be because a natural population control cycle.

By: riffola

riffola — Mon, 25 Mar 2002 13:20:58 -0800

Augh I wish I knew how to proof read, and/or type properly :) On a related note, the Towers of Silence scared me when I was younger. I would always watch out for the vultures when ever we went to the Hanging Gardens or anywhere near that area.

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Mon, 25 Mar 2002 13:47:38 -0800

It's probably the domestic cats.

By: Settle

Settle — Mon, 25 Mar 2002 15:46:03 -0800

the government put up nets in x-project 4232F, code name net giant nets which are awesome and by awesome, I mean totally sweet

By: homunculus

homunculus — Mon, 25 Mar 2002 15:55:07 -0800

Unfortunately the disease seems to be spreading to Pakistan and Nepal. This could become a huge ecological problem for central Asia. We've got vultures here in North America, perhaps the Parsis should relocate en masse and build some Towers of Silence here, their own population decline permitting. Personally I agree with Robinson Jeffers, being fed to vultures would be an excellent use for my flesh once I'm done with it.

By: bingo

bingo — Tue, 26 Mar 2002 12:46:56 -0800

riffola: Where are the Hanging Gardens? Are they connected somehow to the ancient Hanging Gardens of Babylon?

By: milkman

milkman — Wed, 27 Mar 2002 14:50:16 -0800

Hanging Gardens are a manicured park in Bombay (Mumbai). A garden which, incidentally and incredibly, has trash cans painted to look like penguins.