Vulture population in TN, Karnataka, Kerala on the rise

Chennai: Vulture population in seven tiger reserves and forest areas in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala has registered a remarkable increase from 246 in February 2023 to 308 in December, in a boost to the efforts to protect and increase the population of the critically-endangered bird.

The synchronised population estimation was conducted in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, Bandipur Tiger Reserve, BRT Tiger Reserve, Nagerhole Tiger Reserve, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, and Nellai Forest Division on December 30 and 31, 2023. The latest exercise showed 308 vultures in the zones, a significant increase from 246 reported during the first landscape synchronized population estimation conducted on February 25 and 26, 2023.

Officials said the vantage point count method was adopted for the survey which was conducted in four sessions on two days for eight hours from 139 chosen vantage points. The census recorded five species -- long-billed vulture, red-headed vulture, Egyptian vulture, white-rumped vulture and Himalayan Vulture – in the region with Mudumalai Tiger Reserve recording the highest number of birds at 78, followed by Sathyamangalam (70), Bandipur (65), BRT (14), Nagerhole (38), Wayanad (51), and Nellai (4).

“We know the population of vultures in India has declined drastically over the past decade and they are listed as critically endangered. Any increase in their population is encouraging news,” Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary (Environment & Forests), said, releasing the Census results.

She said constitution of a state-level committee of experts for focused attention, strict implementation of the ban on Diclofenac for cattle treatment through the Director of Drugs Control, training of pharmacists and Veterinarians, and supporting vulture nesting are some of the measures that contributed to the increase in the number of vultures in the region.

The Census also counted the number of vulture nests in Mudumalai, Bandipur, and Wayanad as 103 with 94 for white-rumped vulture, 6 for long-billed vulture, and 3 for red-headed vulture. Officials also said in Mudumalai, where it has comparable data for the last Census, the number of nests for white-rumped vultures have increased from 29 to 65, while long-billed vultures have just started nesting.

S Bharathidasan, secretary of Arulagam, an organisation working for vulture conservation, told DH that such a Census should be conducted regularly, twice or at least once in a year to keep track of the number of vultures as part of efforts to conserve them.

“The synchronised survey of the region comprising three states is a welcome step. Vultures are very crucial for the environment as the birds act as an efficient scavenger due to their nature of eating wild carcasses. They are also known to be curtailing the spread of several contagious diseases,” Bharathidasan told DH.

Government officials said other steps that helped in protecting the vulture population include an awareness campaign to drug sellers on the non-use of Diclofenac and other drugs that affect vultures, creation of water holes for vultures in their feeding locations, and encouraging the research on vultures.