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VULTUREINTRODUCTION Vultures are medium to large-sized scavenging birds, feeding mostly on the carcasses of dead animals. Vultures do not generally kill their own prey and they feed largely on dead animals. As scavengers, vultures play an important role in the ecosystem by contributing to the decomposition of dead animal matter, cleaning the environment and reducing the spread of diseases.

Vulture provide a free social service to millions of people recycling natures waste, As it is an efficient scavenger.

It feeds mostly on the carcasses of the dead animals.

It helps in preventing the spread of zoonotic diseases like tuberclosis, Brucellosis,Anthrax etc.

Vulture hold a traditional importance in many communities around the world.

Contd..

Status of vulture in South Asia

There are all together 9 species of vulture found in south asia they are:1) White-rumped vulture (Resident breeder) Critically

Endangered2) Slender-billed vulture (Resident breeder) Critically

Endangered3) Red-headed vulture (Resident breeder) Critically

Endangered4) Himalayan griffon vulture (Resident breeder) Unspecified5) Eurasian griffon vulture (Winter visitor) Unspecified6) Egyptian vulture (Resident breeder) Endangered7) Cinereous vulture (Winter visitor) Near Threatened8) Lammergeier (Resident breeder) Least concern9) Long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus) *

White rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis) Lammergeier (Gypaetus barabatus)

Cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus)Slender-billed vulture (Gyps-tenuirostris),

Himalayan griffon (gyps himalayensis)

Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus), (EN)

Eurasian griffon (Gyps fulvus)

Red-headed vulture (Sarcogyps calvus)

Long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus)

Endangered species of Vultures Out of these 9 species of vulture four species of vulture found in nepal are classified by the IUCN as Critically Endangered. These species are:

Oriental white-backed vulture or White-rumped vulture[Gyps bengalensis]

Long-billed vulture [Gyps indicus]

Slender-billed vulture [Gyps tenuirostris]

Red-headed vulture or king vulture [Sarcogyps calvus]

Oriental white-backed vulture or White-rumped vulture(Gyps bengalensis)

Red-headed vulture or king vulture [Sarcogyps calvus]

Slender-billed vulture [Gyps tenuirostris] Long-billed vulture [Gyps indicus]

Roles of Vultures in Ecosystem Vultures prevent the spread of diseases. In one study in which

vultures were fed disease-causing organisms, including anthrax, it was found that most bacteria were killed in the vultures' highly acidic stomachs. In essence, vultures eat and sterilize contaminated meat.

The majority of wild mammals do not succumb to predators. Instead, they die from diseases, starvation, parasites, fights over mates, competition, accidents, or some combination of these. Vultures excel at finding and eating these animals.

Vultures have played important roles in several human burial practices around the world. In deserts, or areas with rocky soils or insufficient fuel for cremation, disposal of human remains by vultures may be the best and cleanest option.

Many vulture species around the world live closely associated with human societies. These vultures feed at garbage dumps, livestock facilities, and in streets, removing human-caused waste that would otherwise take up more space in landfills and possibly spread disease.

Some scientists believe vultures in Africa were important to early hunter-gatherer humans. The idea is this: early humans, often in need of food, and especially high-protein food such as meat, were able to follow descending vultures to carrion and a free meal.

Causes of Vulture Decline Use of diclofenac drug(potential

NSAID(Non steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug))

Destruction and disturbance of nests. Poisoning Hunting for medicinal purpose and

recreation.

Diclofenac : A poison to vultures Vulture species in South Asia are declining at an alarming

rate and the primary cause of decline is veterinary drug Diclofenac, which was widely used to treat livestock in Asia. Vultures are exposed to Diclofenac by feeding on livestock carcasses which contain residue of this drug. Uric acid level is very high on vultures exposed to Diclofenac and they die of kidney failure. After identifying Diclofenac as the major cause of decline of vulture population, a group of national and international organization issued a Manifesto in January 2004 (Vulture Rescue 2004). This called for immediate action from the governments of all Gyps vulture range states to prevent the veterinary use of Diclofenac.

In Nepal conservation advocacy and awareness programmes on the vulture declines and issue of diclofenac are being led by Bird Conservation Nepal. Some of the achievements of this work are listed below:

  2006 - The Department of Drug Administration (DDA) issued a directive

to withdraw all licences to manufacture veterinary diclofenac within Nepal and to ban the import of diclofenac in to the country.

  2006  Worked with the DDA to approve the use of the vulture safe drug

meloxicam and launched this drug in Nepal at a ceremony in Kathmandu in collaboration with Medivet.

  2008 - Secured support from the government for the creation of a

vulture conservation breeding centre within Chitwan National Park in Nepal, working in collaboration with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation and the National Trust for Nature Conservation.

 

Consequences of Vulture Decline Today more than 99% of disposal mechanism has

been lost in Asia. Pollution:Without vultures to efficiently remove

large amounts of decaying meat, both air and groundwater would show increased contamination.

Spreading of Zoonotic diseases like Tuberclosis,Brucellosis ,Anthrax etc .

Disturbance in ecosystem.

etc..

Jatayu The vulture restaurants of Nepal Vulture Restaurant concept was developed in Nepal

in 2009. The establishment of Vulture Safe Zones was inspired by the vultures of South Asia being on the brink of extinction.  In just 2 decades, five of the nine species of vultures of the Indian sub-continent have declined by up to 99.9%.  Bird Conservation Nepal, together with a group called Saving Asia's Vultures from Extinction (SAVE), is working to reverse these declines by advocating bans on the veterinary use of diclofenac and other untested drugs in cattle, the main food of the vultures.

Vulture Restaurants in Nepal are the first to be community managed.  Many are called "Jatayu Restaurants" after the Hindu vulture god Jatayu.  Cows are, of course, regarded as sacred animals in Nepal, so having them as the single menu item at the restaurant takes some creativity.  This need has been met with having an adjacent "cow hospice" where old and "retired" cattle come to be fed and cared for until their natural time to die.  The cows are treated diclofenac-free treatment and thus are safe for the vultures.

Location of safe feeding sites Gaidahawa-Rupendehi,Near Lumbini Pithauli/Kawasoti-Nawalparasi Ghachowk-Kaski Lalmatiya-Dang,near banke NP Bijauri-Dang,Bhulke CF Khutiya-Kailali,Near Bardiya NP

Main Attractions AT VSZ Community managed Safe feeding Sites for the

conservation of Critically endangered vultures. Cow rescue centre,information centre,observation

hide,homestay facility. Observation of vulture feeding. Nesting sites for White –rumped vultures. Covers internationaly important sites including

Important Bird Areas(IBAs) and Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs)

Nature walk and Bird watching Products Prepared by local income generating groups.

Site of the Ghachowk vulture restaurant, Ghachowk, Kaski, Nepal

Adult Red-headed Vulture Sarcogyps calvus at theGhachowk vulture restaurant, Pokhara, Nepal, November

Four subadult Himalayan Griffons Gyps himalayensis at the Gaindahwa Lake vulture restaurant, Nepal, December 2011.

Lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus in flight near theGhachowk vulture restaurant, Pokhara, Nepal

White-rumped Vulture Gypsbengalensis at the Ghachowk vulture restaurant, Pokhara, Nepal

Our Concern Although DDA has recently banned the production and sale of diclofenac,still some

practitioners are using formulation of diclofenac in the treatment of livestock diseases. Thus the threat still looms with this illegal practice which needs an immediate curb .At the same time ,any sort of threats from poisoning ,electrocution and human persecution may pose potential threats to continue this decline.Thus Immediate ban on the use of diclofenac on the veterinary practices could only solve the problem.