Vultures: The acid-puking, plague-busting heroes of the ecosystem - Kenny Coogan

Prevodilac: Milena Petrovic Lektor: Ivana Korom

In the grasslands of Mauritania,

Na pašnjacima Mauritanije,

a gazelle suffering from tuberculosis takes its last breath.

gazela koja je obolela od tuberkuloze udiše svoj poslednji dah.

Collapsing near a small pool,

Srušivši se pored malog bazena,

the animal’s corpse threatens to infect the water.

leš životinje preti da zagadi vodu.

But for the desert’s cleanup crew, this body isn’t a problem: it’s a feast.

Ali za čistače iz pustinje, ovo telo nije problem: već gozba.

Weighing up to 10 kilograms

Dostižući težinu do 10 kilograma

and possessing a wingspan of nearly 3 meters,

i posedujući raspon krila blizu 3 metra,

the lappet-faced vulture is the undisputed king of the carcass.

lešinar smežuranog lica je neosporno kralj lešine.

This bird’s powerful beak and strong neck

Snažan kljun i jak vrat ove ptice

easily tear through tough hide and muscle tissue,

lako probijaju kroz teško krzno i mišićno tkivo,

opening entry points for weaker vultures to dig in.

otvarajući otvore kako bi slabiji lešinari mogli da navale.

This colossal competition is too dangerous for the tiny Egyptian vulture.

Ova kolosalna konkurencija je previše opasna za malog egipatskog lešinara.

With a wingspan of only 180 centimeters,

Sa rasponom krila od samo 180 centimetara,

this vulture migrated to Africa from his family nest in Portugal,

ovaj lešinar je migrirao u Afriku iz svog porodičnog gnezda u Portugaliji,

using thermal updrafts to stay aloft for hours at a time.

koristeći termičke vazdušne struje kako bi ostao visoko satima.

But upon arrival, he finds himself near the bottom of the pecking order.

Ali nakon dolaska, shvata da se nalazi na dnu hijerarhije.

Fortunately, what he lacks in size, he makes up for in intelligence.

Srećom, svoje fizičke nedostatke nadoknađuje inteligencijom.

A short distance away, he spots an unguarded ostrich nest,

Nedaleko, opaža nezaštićena nojeva jaja,

full of immense, but impenetrable eggs.

ogromna, ali neprobojna jaja.

Using a large rock, he smashes one open for a well-earned meal—

Koristeći veliki kamen, razbija jedno jaje za zasluženi obrok -

though he’ll circle back to the gazelle once the larger birds are gone.

premda će se vratiti nazad kružeći oko gazele dok velike ptice ne odu.

High above the commotion are Ruppell’s Griffon vultures.

Visoko iznad ove gužve nalaze se Rupelovi lešinari.

Soaring at an altitude of over 11,000 meters,

Uzdižući do visina od preko 11.000 metara,

these birds fly higher than any other animal.

ove ptice lete više od bilo koje druge životinje.

At this height, they can’t see individual carcasses.

Na ovoj visini one ne mogu da vide pojedinačne lešine.

But the sight of their fellow vultures guides them to the feeding.

Ali vid njihovih partnera lešinara ih vodi do hrane.

Their featherless heads help them regulate

Njhove ćosave glave im pomažu da regulišu

the sudden rise in temperature as they descend—

iznenadni porast temperature dok se spuštaju -

and keep them clean as they tear into the decaying gazelle.

i održavaju ih čistim dok kidaju gazelu u procesu raspadanja.

The carcass is stripped clean in hours,

Lešina je u potpunosti očišćena za nekoliko sati,

well before the rotting meat infects the water supply.

mnogo pre nego što trulo meso zarazi vodene zalihe.

And the tuberculosis doesn’t stand a chance at infecting the vultures.

I tuberkuloza nema nikakve šanse da inficira lešinare.

These birds have evolved the lowest gastric pH in the animal kingdom,

Ove ptice su razvile najnižu želudačnu kiselinu u životinjskom carstvu,

allowing them to digest diseased carrion and waste without becoming sick.

koja im omogućava da svare bolesnu lešinu i otpad a da se ne razbole.

In fact, species like the mountain-dwelling bearded vulture

U stvari, vrste kao što su bradani koji obitavaju na visokim planinama

have stomachs so acidic,

imaju veoma kisele želuce,

they can digest most bones in just 24 hours.

tako da mogu da svare većinu kostiju za samo 24 sata.

This adaptation helps smaller vultures supplement their diet with dung,

Ovaj vid prilagođavanja pomaže manjim lešinarima da dopune svoju ishranu balegom

while larger vultures can consume diseased meat up to 3 days old.

dok veći lešinari mogu da jedu zaraženo meso staro i do 3 dana.

Their acidic stomachs protect them from living animals too:

Njihovi kiseli želuci ih štite i od živih životinja:

their rancid vomit scares off most predators.

njihova užegla povraćka plaši većinu predatora.

These stomachs of steel are essential to removing pathogens like cholera,

Ovi čelični stomaci su važni za uklanjanje patogena kao što su kolera,

anthrax, and rabies from the African ecosystem.

antraks i besnilo iz afičkog ekosistema.

But while vultures can easily digest natural waste,

Ali dok lešinari mogu sa lakoćom da svare prirodni otpad,

man-made chemicals are another story.

hemikalije koje je napravio čovek su potpuno druga priča.

Diclofenac, a common veterinary drug used to treat cattle in India,

Diklofenak, lek koji se često koristi za lečenje krava u Indiji,

is fatal to vultures.

je smrtonosan za lešinare.

And because local religious beliefs prohibit eating beef,

I zbog lokalnih religijskih uverenja koji zabranjuju jedenje govedine,

scavengers often consume cattle carcasses.

strvinari se često hrane lešinama stoke.

Since the 1990s, the drug,

Još od 1990-ih, ovaj lek je,

along with threats from electricity pylons and habitat loss,

zajedno sa dalekovodima i gubitkom staništa,

has contributed to a 95% decline in the region’s vulture population.

doprineo 95 odsto opadanju populacije lešinara u mestima u kojima obitavaju.

In nearby Africa, poachers intentionally poison carcasses

U obližnjoj Africi, lovokradice namerno truju lešine

to prevent the birds’ presence from alerting authorities to their location.

kako ptice ne bi mogle da odaju lokalnim vlastima njihovu lokaciju.

One poisoned carcass can kill over 500 vultures.

Jedna otrovana lešina može da ubije i preko 500 lešinara.

Today, more than 50% of all vulture species are endangered.

Danas, više od 50 odsto svih vrsta lešinara su ugrožene.

In regions where vultures have gone extinct,

U oblastima u kojima je došlo do izumiranja lešinara,

corpses take three times longer to decay.

lešinama je potrebno tri puta više vremena da istrule.

These carcasses contaminate drinking water,

Ove lešine zagađuju pijaću vodu,

while feral dogs and rats carry the diseases into human communities.

dok divlji psi i pacovi prenose bolesti u ljudske zajednice.

The Asian and African Vulture Crisis has led to an epidemic of rabies in India,

Azijska i afrička kriza sa lešinarima dovela je do epidemije besnila u Indiji,

where infections kill roughly 20,000 people each year.

gde infekcije usmrte oko 20.000 ljudi svake godine.

Fortunately, some communities have already realized how important vultures are.

Srećom, neke zajednice su već uvidele koliko su lešinari važni.

Conservationists have successfully banned drugs like Diclofenac,

Borci za zaštitu prirode su uspešno zabranili lekove kao što je diklofenak,

while other researchers are working to repopulate vulture communities

dok ostali istraživači rade na povećanju zajednica lešinara

through breeding programs.

kroz programe uzgoja.

Some regions have even opened vulture restaurants

Neke oblasti su čak otvorile i restorane za lešinare

where farmers safely dispose of drug-free livestock.

gde farmeri mogu da dostave stoku koja nije tretirana lekovima.

With help, vultures will be able to continue their role

Uz ovu pomoć, lešinari će moći da nastave sa svojom ulogom

conserving the health of our planet— transforming death and decay into life.

čuvajući zdravlje naše planete - preobražujući smrt i trulež u život.