ABSTRACT

This chapter looks at the attitudes of people in various cultures to vultures in both historic and modern times, in both the New and Old Worlds, and also at the legislation for their protection and also other legislation that has had an effect on vultures. These include laws and policies on more effective sanitation, hunting, urban development and conservation of associated animals. New and Old World vultures are not just physically similar, it appears that they were also appraised similarly in historic times, the main issues being their size, admired soaring and sometimes possible evil association. Current attitudes are also similar across continents; the vulture elicits repugnance, sympathy, admiration and fear. Basic questions emerge; how have the attitudes changed, how deserved are they, will legislation be sustainable considering these attitudes and will the new laws and policies make the attitudes worse or better?