Save Vultures to Save Environment, Say Experts

Hyderabad:Of the nine vulture species in India, three of them — white-backed, slender-billed, and long-billed vultures — have seen a 99 per cent decline in the last decade.

The main cause was the use of diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory drug to treat cattle, which has proved toxic for vultures when they feed on cattle carcasses. Other drugs like aciclofenac and ketoprofane, also toxic to vultures, were banned in 2023 but remain in use, said Dr Percy Avari, a veterinarian and researcher.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle during International Vulture Day at Nehru Zoological Park, he said the use of nemisulide, flunixine and carprofane posed risks to vultures, scavenger birds which feed on carcasses of animals treated with these medicines.

He stressed on using vulture-safe alternatives like meloxicam and tolfenamic acid. “By adopting these safer drugs, we can help in protecting vulture populations, which have a great role to play in protecting our environment,” Dr Percy said.

“The decline is severe, with numbers plummeting by 99 per cent in two decades. This drop is one of the fastest in the animal kingdom, surpassing the dodo's extinction rate. In the 1990s, vultures were so abundant that sightings of fewer than five birds weren’t noted,” he said, adding that by 2000, they were critically endangered.

The slender-billed vulture is particularly at risk, with only about 50-100 pairs remaining in the wild.

The Nehru Zoological Park (NZP) has two Himalayan griffon vultures and ten white-backed vultures. The white-backed vultures are off-display in a breeding centre. Vultures typically live 40-45 years.

Sriram Reddy, a birdwatcher from Hyderabad, told Deccan Chronicle: "Birdwatchers often talk about vultures, noting their past abundance and current rarity. Diclofenac poisoning, habitat loss, and reduced food are the main issues. To raise awareness, we should host workshops, use social media, and work with wildlife organisations."

NZP, in partnership with WWF India, organised the International Vulture Day, drawing attention to the critical conservation challenges facing vultures. Around 600 students participated in competitions that were centred around the urgent need to address the threat of diclofenac and the focus on conservation efforts.

The event featured conservation experts, including Chief Wildlife Warden Dr Elusing Meru, WWF Telangana director Farida Tampal, NZP deputy curator M. Barnoba, zoo forest section officer Venkat Rao, and Akbar, senior environmental officer with WWF Telangana.