vultures
BY MRITYUNJAY BOSE
Presence of killer drug even after ban still poses danger to vultures
These are the majestic birds that lorded over the skies. The master of the skies is now fighting a battle – as its numbers dwindle thanks to killer drug diclofenac. In the Indian sub-continent a decade ago there were 85 million of them hovering above. Now, some estimates say it is not even 3,000 to 4,000. If the rate of decline continues for the next few years, these birds – which are natural scavengers – will be extinct. At a rate that is even faster than the rate of extinction of Dodo.
A year after the Drug Controller of India announced a ban on the manufacture of diclofenac, it still exists in the market thanks to the quacks who manufacture it illegally for vetinary purpose and even the drug is imported from China. The ban was announced on May 11, 2006. The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), which spearheaded the campaign to ban the manufacture of the drug, is now into the second part of the campaign – to prevent its imports.
“Quacks and imports from China re a matter of concern,” BNHS Director Dr Asad Rehmani said, pointing out that the numbers in India, Pakistan and Nepal has come down by as much as 99 per cent. “This is the biggest ever decline of a species anywhere in the world, worse than that of tiger,” he said.
Extensive research has identified the cause of the declines to be diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory drug routinely administered to livestock in Asia. Vultures are exposed to the drug when they consume carcasses of animals that were treated with diclofenac a few days before death. Diclofenac is highly toxic to vultures, causing them to die of kidney failure. The potential loss of these vulture species has profound ecological and social consequences in Asia. Vultures play a vital ecosystem service by rapidly disposing of carcasses that would otherwise pose a risk of disease. With the decline of vultures there has been a dramatic increase in feral dog numbers, which pose a real risk to human health and safety.
Three vulture species in Asia belonging to the Gyps genus are now critically endangered. These species are the Oriental White-backed Vulture G. bengalensis, Long-billed Vulture G. indicus and Slender-billed Vulture G. tenuirostris. Recent surveys have also found that populations of Egyptian vultures Neophron percnopterus and Red-headed vultures Sarcoyps calvus have also undergone rapid population declines in India. BirdLife International has recently re-classified these two species as globally Endangered and Critically Endangered, respectively. The Indian government has put it under Schedule-1 of Wildlife (Protection) Act. “But we have a long way to go,” says Rehmani. Two other Gyps species are found in Asia, the Himalayan Griffon G. himalayensis and the Eurasian Griffon G. fulvus that breeds in Eurasia but migrates into Africa and south Asia. Three other species of Gyps vulture are found exclusively in Africa (African White-backed Vulture G. africanus, Cape Griffon G. coprotheres, Rüppell's Griffon G. rueppellii). No Gyps species is completely geographically isolated from its congeners.
BNHS officials pointed out that there needs to be more cooperation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry and Ministry of Environment and Forests in this regard. “Diclofenac’s alternative is Meloxican, though costly, but the use of this needs to be promoted,” he said and pointed out that the forest department of various State governments should conduct raids so that diclofenac is not sold clandestinely.
Presence of killer drug even after ban still poses danger to vultures
These are the majestic birds that lorded over the skies. The master of the skies is now fighting a battle – as its numbers dwindle thanks to killer drug diclofenac. In the Indian sub-continent a decade ago there were 85 million of them hovering above. Now, some estimates say it is not even 3,000 to 4,000. If the rate of decline continues for the next few years, these birds – which are natural scavengers – will be extinct. At a rate that is even faster than the rate of extinction of Dodo.
A year after the Drug Controller of India announced a ban on the manufacture of diclofenac, it still exists in the market thanks to the quacks who manufacture it illegally for vetinary purpose and even the drug is imported from China. The ban was announced on May 11, 2006. The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), which spearheaded the campaign to ban the manufacture of the drug, is now into the second part of the campaign – to prevent its imports.
“Quacks and imports from China re a matter of concern,” BNHS Director Dr Asad Rehmani said, pointing out that the numbers in India, Pakistan and Nepal has come down by as much as 99 per cent. “This is the biggest ever decline of a species anywhere in the world, worse than that of tiger,” he said.
Extensive research has identified the cause of the declines to be diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory drug routinely administered to livestock in Asia. Vultures are exposed to the drug when they consume carcasses of animals that were treated with diclofenac a few days before death. Diclofenac is highly toxic to vultures, causing them to die of kidney failure. The potential loss of these vulture species has profound ecological and social consequences in Asia. Vultures play a vital ecosystem service by rapidly disposing of carcasses that would otherwise pose a risk of disease. With the decline of vultures there has been a dramatic increase in feral dog numbers, which pose a real risk to human health and safety.
Three vulture species in Asia belonging to the Gyps genus are now critically endangered. These species are the Oriental White-backed Vulture G. bengalensis, Long-billed Vulture G. indicus and Slender-billed Vulture G. tenuirostris. Recent surveys have also found that populations of Egyptian vultures Neophron percnopterus and Red-headed vultures Sarcoyps calvus have also undergone rapid population declines in India. BirdLife International has recently re-classified these two species as globally Endangered and Critically Endangered, respectively. The Indian government has put it under Schedule-1 of Wildlife (Protection) Act. “But we have a long way to go,” says Rehmani. Two other Gyps species are found in Asia, the Himalayan Griffon G. himalayensis and the Eurasian Griffon G. fulvus that breeds in Eurasia but migrates into Africa and south Asia. Three other species of Gyps vulture are found exclusively in Africa (African White-backed Vulture G. africanus, Cape Griffon G. coprotheres, Rüppell's Griffon G. rueppellii). No Gyps species is completely geographically isolated from its congeners.
BNHS officials pointed out that there needs to be more cooperation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry and Ministry of Environment and Forests in this regard. “Diclofenac’s alternative is Meloxican, though costly, but the use of this needs to be promoted,” he said and pointed out that the forest department of various State governments should conduct raids so that diclofenac is not sold clandestinely.
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