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Vulture Conservation
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The population of the three, once most common, vulture species viz. Gyps bengalensis, Gyps indicus
and Gyps tenuirostris (White-backed Vulture, Long-billed Vulture and Slender-billed Vulture,
respectively) has declined drastically over last two decades. Compared to early nineties,
the crash in population is over 99%. The average annual mortality rate is about 42% for White-backed
Vulture and 17% for the Long-billed Vulture and Slender-billed Vulture. The study conducted by
Peregrine Fund, a U.S. based conservation organisation, in Pakistan have confirmed that Diclofenac,
a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug given to cattle to treat pain and inflammation, is a major
killer of vultures. In India, it is estimated that the veterinary diclofenac worth about 20 crores
is used to treat the animals. The finding of diclofenac as vulture killer was published in the
prestigious scientific journal “Nature” in January 2004.
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Haryana forest department in collaboration with Bombay Natural History Society has established a
Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre at Pinjore. This centre was established in 2001 initially as
a Vulture Care Centre to investigate and study the declining populations. At present the centre houses
127 Vultures (White-backed Vulture 55 nos., Long-billed Vulture 55 nos, Slender-billed Vulture nos.
15 and Himalayan Griffon 2 nos.). This is the largest collection of the three critically endangered
species of vulture at one place any where in the world. A planned breeding programme has been
initiated with the financial assistance from the Darwin Initiative for the Survival of Species fund
of the Government of U.K., the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and technical and
financial collaboration of the Zoological Society of London. The Pinjore Vulture Conservation
Breeding Centre of Haryana Forest Department has been recognised as the first centre of its kind
in Asia and is poised for major contribution in the conservation of these threatened species.
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Vultures are nature’s most efficient scavengers. Nine species of vultures are found in India of
which five belong to genus Gyps. All the species of vultures are scavengers and are commensal of man.
Their occurrence in extremely high density is attributed to the availability of abundant food supply
due to the primitive method of carcass disposal. All of them have successfully exploited the vast food
resources created by man by extensive dairy farming. The carcasses of livestock form the principal
food for vulture and are now mostly dependant on human activities for the food.
Crash in Population
Once very common, they are now on the verge of extinction in the Indian subcontinent. Populations of
three of India’s commonest Gyps vultures have declined by over 97% during the last decade. All the
three affected species, the Indian White-backed, Long-billed and Slender-billed Vultures
(Gyps bengalensis, Gyps indicus and Gyps tenuirostris), were once regards as the commonest raptor
in India, but now they are listed as critically endangered by the BirdLife International U.K.
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The problem was originally highlighted by BNHS. The initial findings at Keoladeo National Park,
Bharatpur, Rajasthan, showed a 96% decline in numbers of Indian White-backed Vulture and a 97% decline
in Long-billed Vultures between 1985 abd 1999. Similar results have now been shown for these species
throughout India following a nation wide survey. It was noticed by BNHS researchers that vultures
appear lethargic and sick with drooping heads for several week before death. This abnormal behaviour
along with dead vultures was also found throughout the country. From the work of BNHS, it was clear
that the vulture declines are due an exceptionally high mortality rate of vultures, with all age
classes being affected, also the reproductive rate is abnormally low.
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The Potential Threats
These extremely efficient scavengers can finish off a carcass of adult cattle, in a matter of about
20 minutes. The vultures were keeping the environment clean in India in absence of any effective
carcass and slaughterhouse waste disposal system and hereby have prevented outbreak of epidemics by
cleaning the carcasses before they could rot and putrify. A population crash of vulture could cause
a dramatic increase in epidemics, as carcass and waste disposal system has remained more or less
unchanged.
The dramatic vulture declines observed across India present a whole range of threats both
ecologically and to human health. The absence of such important scavengers will almost certainly
influence the numbers and distribution of other scavenging species for example as vultures have
declined, feral dog populations have been reported to have increased massively, with over 1000
observed recently at a carcass dump in Rajasthan. This could pose many associated disease risk to
humans and wildlife, such as rabies.
Projects on the Conservations of Gyps Vulture
In October 2000, BNHS jointly applied for a grant from the U.K. Government under the Darwin Initiative
for the survival of species to fund the urgent vulture investigations. BNHS was successful in its bid
and from 1 April 2001, the Darwin Initiative provided.
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