In the 1980s this species was widely considered to be the most common large bird of prey on the planet. Today there are only a few thousand left in the world, due to the widespread use of diclofenac - a medicine that was given to cows across south and south-east Asia for many years. Finally, the use of this drug seems to be diminishing at a rapid rate, and the numbers of vultures are slowly starting to recover, at least here in Nepal.