VULTURE CONSERVATION IN INDIA
Introduction
India is home to nine species of vultures, out of which five belong to the genus Gyps. Among these, three—White-backed (Gyps bengalensis), Long-billed (Gyps indicus), and Slender-billed (Gyps tenuirostris) vultures—are resident and critically endangered species. These species were once widely distributed across the Indian subcontinent, but their populations experienced a dramatic crash in the 1990s, as first documented by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). Other species such as the Eurasian Griffon and Himalayan Griffon are mostly migratory.
Extent of Population Decline
- The population collapse was first observed in 1996–97, with national surveys in 2000 and 2007 confirming the alarming trend. Between 1992 and 2007, the White-backed vulture population declined by 99.9%, and the combined decline of Long-billed and Slender-billed vultures was over 96%. The annual rate of decline between 2000 and 2007 was 9% for White-backed vultures and over 16% for Long-billed and Slender-billed vultures. In 2000, all three species were declared Critically Endangered by the IUCN, indicating the highest risk of extinction in the wild.
Ecological Role of Vultures
- Vultures serve as nature’s most effective scavengers. They can rapidly clean up carcasses, preventing the spread of infectious diseases such as anthrax, rabies, and tuberculosis. Their absence has led to a rise in feral dog populations, which are the primary carriers of rabies in India. In fact, India currently has the highest human rabies mortality rate in the world. Unscavenged carcasses also lead to groundwater contamination and public health hazards.
Cultural and Religious Importance
- Vultures are deeply embedded in Indian cultural and religious traditions. Among Parsis, sky burial is a sacred practice where Towers of Silence are used for vulture-mediated corpse disposal, as fire, earth, and water are considered sacred. The disappearance of vultures has disrupted this essential religious rite. Historically, vultures also aided in carcass cleaning for bone collection, especially for the fertilizer industry.
Cause of Decline: Diclofenac
- The primary cause of the rapid vulture population decline is the veterinary use of the NSAID diclofenac. When vultures feed on the carcasses of livestock treated with diclofenac, they suffer from kidney failure, leading to visceral gout and death. Even 8% contaminated carcasses can cause lethal toxicity. Studies have consistently confirmed the presence of diclofenac residues in the dead vultures’ tissues.
Ban on Diclofenac in India
- In response to the crisis, the Drug Controller General of India issued an order in May 2006 to withdraw veterinary diclofenac licenses. This was followed by a gazette notification in August 2008. The only vulture-safe alternative currently available is meloxicam, another NSAID that is both effective and non-toxic to vultures. However, due to widespread availability, diclofenac may take 10 to 15 years to be fully eradicated from circulation.
The Vulture Recovery Plan (2004)
- The first South Asia Vulture Recovery Plan was launched in February 2004. It aimed to ban veterinary diclofenac, promote the use of meloxicam, and establish conservation breeding centres across India. The plan was backed by agencies like the MoEF&CC, BNHS, Central Zoo Authority, and international bodies including the IUCN and Zoological Society of London.
Conservation Breeding Centres
- India now has dedicated Vulture Conservation Breeding Centres at Pinjore (Haryana), Raja Bhat Khawa (West Bengal), Rani (Assam), and Sakkarbaug Zoo (Gujarat). These centres focus on captive breeding of White-backed, Long-billed, and Slender-billed vultures. All three species have been successfully bred in captivity, which is a promising step toward population recovery.