Ray of hope in the fight against lion-killer pesticide

According to Dr Ogada, “The way forward is to educate the public from the grassroot levels onwards.”

But it also requires political will to ensure that products being sold over the counter are not lethal, that they are monitored and used for the right purposes and that there is public awareness.

Or else, in the absence of the vultures, we are going to have vast tracts of the countryside full of rotting, stinking carcasses and dead lions — which have the potential of spreading diseases to humans — and nothing to attract the international tourist.

Poisoning with chemicals like furadan is one of the causes besides habitat loss for the decline of the lions and other wildlife.