India's vulture conservation programme attain sustainability: BNHS

Mumbai: India’s vulture conservation breeding programme has attained sustainability and the birds bred in captivity  are being released in the wild on a regular basis, the Mumbai-headquartered Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) told an international conference.

"However, the success has been achieved after overcoming several hurdles including the financial challenges,” BNHS Director Kishor Rithe said at the ongoing annual meeting of the Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction (SAVE) being held in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. 

There were presentations on the vulture conservation works from India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Cambodia and the vulture range countries.

The population of Gyps species – White-rumped vulture (Oriental white-backed vulture), Indian vulture (Long-billed vulture), and Slender-billed vulture – crashed during the mid-1990s throughout the Indian sub-continent.

According to research over the years, vultures (Jatayu) that feed on the carcasses of cattle treated with the Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), in most likelihood die. 

“India has recorded the highest number of vultures at its conservation breeding centres, which is around 800,” Rithe told DH from Phnom Penh, where the conference is underway from 17-21 February. 

Rithe explained the efforts of Centre  as well as State governments along with the Royal Society for the protection of Birds (RSPB) for providing financial support to BNHS for conducting the programme spread over decades. 

We are breeding and are also successfully releasing the vultures at the regular intervals and hence the conservation breeding programme has attained sustainability.  States like Maharashtra, West Bengal, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh also came forward to support the Vulture releases and hence the burden on one organisation has been reduced." he said in his presentation to the international audience.  

"These learnings will be very helpful to other Vulture range countries,” said Prof Rhys Green, the RSPB scientist, who is attending the conference.

Rithe pointed out that Nepal has stopped its Vulture breeding programme and declared that the Nepal is vulture safe country as it has banned NSAIDs like diclofenac and they do not find NSAIDs like Ketoprofen, Aceclofenac and Nimesulide in veterinary use. 

Bangladesh never started the breeding programme and only focused on creating a vulture safe zone (VSZ) for wild vultures to make the country safe for vultures. 

Cambodia too has only 170 birds of three species - Red-headed Vulture, White-rumped Vulture and Slender-billed Vulture. 

Myanmar has around 50 WRV.  Pakistan has only 37 VRV at its conservation breeding centre at Changamanga centre  apart from a total 247 wild birds of Long billed Vultures, WRV and RBVs (3) in the wild. 

Laos recently recorded a colony of WRV. As per national estimation in 2020, India has estimated 20,000 wild Gyps vultures (LBW, WRV and RHV). 

"In this scenario, India seems to be leading in southeast Asia and we need to really celebrate this moment. More Indian states are coming forward to shoulder the responsibility for Jatayu conservation, he stated further. Recently, the Government of India has imposed a ban on the use of vulture toxic Nimesulide in veterinary drugs. India has already banned Diclofenac, Aceclofenac and Ketoprofen here before and the Indian government has shown its strong commitment to save Jatayu,” he said.

BNHS scientist Sachin Ranade who is heading the VCBC Assam presented BNHS and Assam Government's joint efforts at VCBC Assam. This year Assam Forest Department will start releasing the captively bred vultures in the wild, he informed the gathering.