SAVING THE VULTURES FROM EXTINCTION Amit Kumar Singhal*
	18:12 IST

Vultures, the foremost scavenging birds, have been on the path of extinction for sometime now.“Perhaps no other bird species in the world have seen a more rapid decline than those of Gyps vultures in South Asia”, rues Asad R. Rahmani, Director, Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), and adds that even the resolution of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on the Gyps species of vultures, at its 3rd Session in Bangkok in November 2004, pointed out that the Long-billed (Gyps indicus), Slender-billed (Gyps tenuirostris) and White-rumped (Gyps bengalensis) vultures, endemic to South East Asia, have declined by more than 97 per cent during the last 10 years in South Asia. The population of three species of vultures - object of ridicule and derision for some, but venerated by many – has declined by over 95 per cent throughout the Indian sub-continent. Causes For Decline Though vultures die unnaturally from several mortality causes, scientific evidence suggests diclofenac as the major cause for the catastrophic decline, says Dr. Vibhu Prakash, Principal Scientist, BNHS. He adds that the survey by BNHS indicated that the decline in vultures’ population was due to some infectious disease caused by virus, feeding on poisoned carcass and deficiency in nutrient intake.  Some of the tissue materials of dead vultures were sent for laboratory examination both within India and outside which revealed the presence of diclofenac. In the meantime, a similar decline in vultures’ number was noticed in Pakistan and other neighbouring countries also.  The birds succumbed to kidney failure and visceral gout when they eat a dead animal that has been treated with diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory drug, used in south Asia in a livestock treatment, says Dr Prakash. A workshop held in Chandigarh in February 2004 on the issue recommended that captive breeding programmes should be initiated urgently along with action for preventing the use of diclofenac in veterinary applications.        Impact Gyps vultures are most effective and efficient scavengers.  They carry out an important function in the food chain. In India, their role cannot be over-emphasized, given the large livestock population, poor carcass disposal and non-consumption of beef. Their decline will undoubtedly have serious repercussions, both on the environment and on human health.  For example, an abundance of uneaten carcasses poses a direct threat to public health because the rotting flesh provides a breeding ground for potentially pathogenic bacteria, posing the threat of direct or indirect infection. The economic impact of the vultures’ decline is manifold. This includes the cost of disposing of carcasses that would otherwise rot and increase the risk of disease, the costs associated with increased dog bites and associated human disease, and many others that are difficult to quantify without detailed socio-economic analyses. Vultures are  valued in Indian society for their role in environment protection.  They  have an important cultural and religious significance.  The Parsees depend upon vultures to remove their dead and the vulture saint, Jatayu, is an important figure in Hindu religion.  The ancient Parsee religion holds  the earth, fire and water sacred and to avoid contaminating them, the Parsees dispose of their dead by placing them on ‘Towers of Silence’, where vultures used to rapidly strip the bones and flesh.  Conservation Efforts             As a first step, the protection of white-backed, long-billed and slender-billed vultures has been upgraded from Schedule IV to Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, thereby giving it the highest legal protection. Furthermore, in the second meeting of the National Board For Wildlife, held on  March 17, 2005, under the chairmanship of  Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, it was decided to phase out the veterinary diclofenac and replace it with suitable substitutes within six months. Accordingly, the Ministry of Environment and Forests has  initiated the process of consultation with the representatives of pharmaceutical companies, Ministry of Health and Department of Animal Husbandry, veterinarians, and  State Governments to work out an implementable action plan. The veterinary diclofenac has already been banned by some State Governments.             The BNHS had also recommended the setting up of a centre to keep vultures in captivity for observation and experimentation in order to detect the diseases and control of drugs as well as captive breeding.  Accordingly, the BNHS in collaboration with the Royal Society for Protection of Birds  has established a vulture captive breeding centre near Panchkula, Haryana.              Phasing out of diclofenac and establishment of more vulture captive breeding centers,  would hopefully  ensure the survival of the threatened species.   'A group of Vultures in the Wild' *Information Officer, PIB, New Delhi