A recent survey of the population of wild vultures in the North suggests that the carrion eaters' numbers have dropped by 33 percent over the past year.

Researchers say the birds may have been poisoned by local farmers. Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA) staff sighted only 85 vultures, compared to 130 in August, 2006. Ecologists working for the INPA attribute the drop to a succession of poisoning incidents by farmers in recent months.

The farmers leave the poison out as bait to kill wolves that prey on the herds of cattle. The worst of the poisoning incidents apparently occurred in June, as nesting season was in full swing. Researchers found the carcasses of four adult birds and three vulture chicks in the area of the Gamla cliffs.