griffon vulture

Old World vulture found in southern Europe, west and central Asia, and parts of Africa. It has a bald head with a neck ruff, and is 1.1 m/3.5 ft long with a wingspan of up to 2.7 m/9 ft. (Species Gyps fulvus, family Accipitridae.)

An unknown disease was discovered to be killing griffons across India in 2000. So virulent is the disease that in some parts of India the griffon has already disappeared. The disease is spreading to Pakistan and Nepal and, given the mobility of the vultures, seems likely to extend throughout their entire range from Spain to South Africa and Thailand.