RED HEADED VULTURE - PDF document

RED ALERT: RED HEADED VULTURE S IN DANGER Delhi, the heart of India, is a city rich in natural heritage. F orests of the northern and the southern ridge surround it. With its water bodies and the river Yamuna, Delhi provides a rich environment for a variety of flora, fauna and animal species to flourish. The city is proud of its’ natural and cultural heritage. But, somewhere along the way, ‘Dilliwallas’ forgot to care for their city and its natural heritage. One such example is the loss of the great R ed - Headed Vulture. The Red - Headed Vulture (Sarcogyps calvus) is also known as the Pondicherry Vulture, the Asian King Vulture or the Indian Black Vulture. It is found in south Asian countries, but today its’ presence is localized to northern India and N epal. It lives in open country or in semi - desert areas. This majestic bird has an orange - red neck and a black body and an open wingspan of 6 - 8 feet. It feeds on dead bodies or carcasses of animals. In the early 1990s, vultures were a common sight in the skies above Delhi but within a span o f ten years, their numbers dropped rapidly by 91%. They were eventually d eclared ‘critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). There are several reasons for their numbers to have reached the extinction level. The dumping grounds on the outskirts of Delhi, which were once a home to these vultures, have disappeared due to rapid urbanization. The amount of food available for their survival has also steadily decreased because of advanc ement in waste disposal techniques. Intentional killing and diseases are other reasons for their numbers to decline. But the main reason why the population of the redheaded vulture has dwindled is the widespread use of a painkiller called Diclofenac, used for treating livestock. Vultures that feed on the carcasses of animals treated with this drug die due to renal failure. Vultures play an important role in the ecosystem and help in the disposal of animal and human remains. Our villages and towns remain f ree of putrefying flesh due to their presence. They are also central to the Buddhist funeral practice which is known as ‘sky burial’ — where corpses are left in the open to be consumed by scavenging animals. Recently a pair of Red - Headed Vultures was spott ed near the Bhatti Mines at Asola, feeding on a jackal carcass, after nearly 20 years. This was a big surprise for the bird watchers in Delhi. Bhatti Mines have a million saplings growing and are one of Delhi's richest eco - systems. To conserve the Red - He aded Vulture , we have to first identify the location s where they are still present. Then the number of their existing population can be assessed. Several actions can be taken to protect and prevent the extinction of these vultures. Indian government has al ready banned the manufacture and use of veterinary Diclofenac. A good alternative is to use meloxicam, which is a safe drug. Captive breeding can also give promising results. In Cambodia, the government and a few NGOs, run The Cambodia Vulture Conservatio n Project. They currently have seven vulture restaurants where supplementary safe food is provided for vultures. It may be beneficial to replicate these restaurants on the outskirts of Delhi. The community can acquire cattle that are nearing the end of the ir working lives and when these animals die naturally, the carcass can be fed to vultures. With our collective and sustained effort, we can bring these magnificent birds back from the brink of extinction and Delhi can once again be a home to them. RABIYA GUPTA - 6 A