Vulture shortage threatens Zoroastrian burial rites

Podcasts and Background Resources

• Several commenters recommend podcast episodes on Towers of Silence / Zoroastrian sky burials, particularly one from Radiolab, praised as clear, well-structured, and with a satisfying resolution.
• A 99% Invisible episode is also mentioned but described as less focused.

Culture, Tradition, and Change

• Strong debate around whether “our culture is dying” is a meaningful concern or mostly entitlement to past practices.
• Some argue traditions and religious rites are important intangible values that connect past and future, not just “practicalities.”
• Others criticize attempts to freeze cultures in time (e.g., indigenous hunting of endangered species justified as “tradition”) and argue healthy cultures would evolve.
• There’s pushback against overly reductive definitions of “culture.”

Causes of Vulture Decline

• Main cause in India is described as diclofenac and similar NSAIDs used in livestock; vultures ingest residues in carcasses and die. Diclofenac has been banned for veterinary use there since 2006, with safer alternatives recommended.
• Human NSAID use as a danger to vultures at Towers of Silence is raised as a question, but impact is unclear in the thread.
• Some note that plunging vulture numbers predate and go beyond the specific burial-rite issue.
• In Africa, poachers allegedly poison carcasses to avoid anti-poaching patrols detecting vultures circling kills.
• Others mention lead and other pollutants as causes in different regions.

Vultures, Poison, and Rodent Control

• Multiple comments stress that rodent poisons can kill vultures and raptors; traps and non-toxic baits are recommended instead.
• Some users report stable or increasing turkey vulture populations in parts of the US; others note local declines, with rat poison suspected.
• Discussion over whether vultures circling always indicates carcasses: some say circling often relates to thermals and soaring; others have repeatedly seen circling over carcasses. Consensus: circling can mean food, but not always.

Zoroastrianism and Burial Alternatives

• Reports from Iran describe historic Towers of Silence as unused for decades, with newer, religion-compatible burial buildings used instead.
• Some suggest this shows the religion can adapt its rites; others note Iran’s political context complicates religious practice.
• A side thread discusses Zoroastrianism’s status as an Indo-European religion and its demographic decline due to low fertility and restrictive conversion/marriage rules.

Wider Reflections on Death Practices and Ecology

• Commenters compare sky burials to emerging practices like human composting, contrasting them with modern embalming and sealed coffins that slow decomposition.
• Several emphasize that the extinction risk to vultures and ecosystem impacts are more concerning than the loss of a specific rite, while others see both as important.