I was surprised when I realized I had not seen vultures in the sky for long years . I had seen them in huge numbers perhaps a decade and a half ago in Delhi trans - Yamuna area behind the house I was staying in. They were feeding upon a dead animal . They were not seen again by me in North India and any other part of the country except on a few occasions and that too in scattered numbers . A couple of years back when I was coming from Delhi to Patna I had seen a few creatures at Lucknow – Jaunpur railway route. They seemed very close to Vultures from the running train . I was almost sure they must be vultures . I thought to write to World wide Fund for Nature and some other conservation agencies to explore the matter but could not do so for reason of slackness. I regret and admit I failed to perform my social duty towards Nature .I had seen vultures in huge numbers in childhood in my village or other places of Bihar where I spent successive years of life . Even in Patna I have not been able to see them feeding on a carcass or flying ever in the sky for last many years whereas they used to be usual phenomenon along the bank of Ganges .
Have we ever tried to know why the vultures were becoming extinct ? Perhaps no. The reason is veterinary Diclofenac drug administered to sick animals .The drug used to treat diseases in cattle and cows is deposited in their body . When vultures feed on the meat after the death of these animals the drug deposited in their bodies causes to them kidney failures. 'The killer drug is said to be responsible for 95-99% of the extermination of the vulture species in Nepal, India and Pakistan .
We should remember vultures are natural scavengers and act as cleaners in our environmental system . I thank the people of Nepal , one of the poorest countries in the world they have begun a unique initiative to save the endangered vulture by building ‘ vulture restaurants .’ what is a vulture restaurant ? A vulture restaurant is a place where fresh and poison free meat or livestock / wild mammals or animal carcasses free of diclofenac are put out for vultures and other scavengers so that they could not eat dead animals infested with diclofenac . Diclofenac is now almost banned across the globe . Bird Conservation Nepal an N.G.O. raised Rs. 200,000 to buy the new drug, Meloxicam, and gave the new stocks to drug stores in place of the killer drug. The Terai plains lying along the Indo-Nepal border have pockets where large vulture colonies nestle. N.G.Os. and government organizations should take inspiration from organizations like Bird Conservation Nepal .
– SUDHANSHU KUMAR
yaa, very true, these Vultures are not being seen now a days as they used to be some ten or fifteen years ago and perhaps that is why the vultures are listed as ‘Critically Endangered species' and as per the Government statements, "steps are being taken for Phasing out veterinary use of Diclofenac and its substitution by alternative drugs......"
ReplyDeletebut the thing is, are these steps really being taken on the ground level or again its one of those hundreds of policies formed by Government authorities and kept in those dusty files........
A thought provoking post by you, i wish someone from the concerned officials go through this write up and think of doing some needful.....