India, a sanctuary for nine distinct vulture species, is fervently working to stabilize the numbers of these vital scavengers. As the mortality rate edges past five percent annually, the threat of extinction becomes palpable, making every vulture’s demise deeply sorrowful. The 1990s saw a staggering decline where over 90% of the country’s vulture population was wiped out. This tragic loss stemmed from vultures ingesting animals that had been treated with Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, leading to fatal consequences for the birds.
In a significant move towards conservation, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has recently banned the production, sale, and distribution of two such drugs, ketoprofen and aceclofenac, recognizing their detrimental effects on India’s vultures.
Vibhu Prakash of BNHS and Chris Bowden, Programme Manager at Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction (SAVE) spoke to Ground Tales in detail about Vulture Conservation in India and the steps needed to stabilize the population of these scavangers in the country.
#vulture #India #conservation #environment #biodiversity
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