carcasses opportunistically. Vultures control these pests and disease vectors indirectly through competition for carcasses. On 20 June 2019, the corpses of 468 white-backed vultures, 17 white-headed vultures, 28 hooded vultures, 14 lappet-faced vultures and 10 cape vultures, altogether 537 vultures, besides 2 tawny eagles, were found in northern Botswana. It is suspected that they died after eating the corpses of 3 elephants that were poisoned by poachers, possibly to avoid detection by the birds, which help rangers to track poaching activity by circling above where there are dead animals. In myth and culture In Ancient Egyptian art, Nekhbet, a mythological goddess and patron of both the city of Nekheb and Upper Egypt was depicted as a vulture. Alan Gardiner identified the species that was used in divine iconography as a griffon vulture. Arielle P. Kozloff, however, argues that the vultures in New Kingdom art, with their blue-tipped beaks and loose skin, better resemble the lappet-faced vulture. Many Great Royal Wives wore vulture crowns - a symbol of protection from the goddess Nekhbet. Ancient Egyptians believed that all vultures were female and were spontaneously born from eggs without the intervention of a male, and therefore linked the birds to purity and motherhood, but also the eternal cycle of death and rebirth for their ability to transform the “death” they feed on – i.e. carrion and waste – into life. In Pre-Columbian times, vultures were appreciated as extraordinary beings and they had high iconographic status. Vultures appear in many Mesoamerican myths, legends, and fables, with many separate civilizations such as the Mayan and Aztec developing a range of stories around vultures. Many Mesoamerican stories depict vultures negatively, while others contain more positive attitudes. See also Jatayu Stele of the Vultures References External links Vulture videos on the Internet Bird Collection Ventana Wildlife Society Vulture observatory in Spain A Vulture Restaurant Declining Vulture Count in India Vulture Conservation in Western Coast of India Website for journal Vulture News 01 Birds of prey Scavengers Bird common names Polyphyletic groups