What happens when nature's cleanup crew disappears? In this episode of Nature Breaking, host Seth Larson talks with Professor Eyal Frank, an environmental economist at the University of Chicago, about his groundbreaking research on the near-extinction of vultures in India—and the devastating ripple effects on human health.

Frank explains:

• Why vultures are critical for ecosystems and public health
• How a common painkiller triggered a collapse in vulture populations
• Why that collapse may have caused 500,000 additional human deaths
• What this teaches us about the hidden costs of biodiversity loss

This is a fascinating—and sobering—look at how species we often overlook play vital roles in our lives. Tune in to learn why protecting wildlife isn't just about saving nature—it's about saving ourselves.

Listen now and subscribe for more episodes on the connections between people and the planet.

Links for More Info:

Eyal Frank bio

Study: The Near Extinction of Indian Vultures Led to the Death of a Half Million People

Shocked Podcast Ep. 3: Vultures

WWF web story: Vultures as Nature's Influencers

Chapters:

0:00 Wild Guess trivia

0:32 Intro

2:16 Eyal Frank's background

4:40 Comparing attribution science in climate change v. biodiversity loss

6:27 Why are vultures important?

9:06 How Eyal learned about vulture loss in India

11:02 What happened to vultures in India?

15:50 How did vulture loss contribute to human deaths?

26:47 What were the actual causes of human deaths?

32:02 How many people died due to loss of vultures?

37:36 Lessons for policymakers and the general public

42:03 What's next for Eyal Frank?

45:02 Outro