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Searching for vultures in India

10,000 Birds

Of the estimated 500 million cattle in India, only 4% were destined for consumption by humans as meat. The disappearance of vultures has allowed other species such as rat and [stray] dog populations to grow. A vulture’s metabolism is a true “dead-end” for pathogens, but dogs and rats become carriers of the pathogens.

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Moral Vegetarianism, Part 8 of 13

Animal Ethics

Cattle might be overproduced because of government subsidies and new markets found for meat. Meat-packing companies might encourage, for example, an increased dog population to take up the slack. But so could lots of other things: wearing an animal rights button, picketing meat-packing houses, and so on.