At the turn of this century, the canopied forest at Doongerwadi was bereft of vultures. The species Gyps Bengalensis or the white-rumped vulture became extinct in Western India. Diclofenac, a popular anti-inflammatory drug used by doctors and vets for renal disorders and rheumatoid arthritis amongst other illnesses, was the chief culprit. Vultures feeding on cattle carcasses laden with diclofenac dropped like confetti to the ground. The Parsee Voice, the newsletter of the ultra-orthodox, urged Parsis to spurn the lifesaving diclofenac as it was fatal for vultures.
In the early 1970s, when the vultures were not yet all gone, an Ahmedabad Parsi......