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Vultures are medium to
large-sized scavenging
birds, feeding mostly on the
carcasses of dead animals.
Vultures do not generally kill
their own prey and they feed
largely on dead animals. As
scavengers, vultures play an
important role in the
ecosystem by contributing to
the decomposition of dead
animal matter, cleaning the
environment and reducing
the spread of diseases.
Contd..
Vulture provide a free social service to
millions of people recycling natures
waste, As it is an efficient scavenger.
 It feeds mostly on the carcasses of the
dead animals.
 It helps in preventing the spread of
zoonotic diseases like tuberclosis,
Brucellosis,Anthrax etc.
 Vulture hold a traditional importance in
many communities around the world.

There are all together 9 species of vulture found in
south asia they are:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
White-rumped vulture (Resident breeder) Critically
Endangered
Slender-billed vulture (Resident breeder) Critically
Endangered
Red-headed vulture (Resident breeder) Critically
Endangered
Himalayan griffon vulture (Resident breeder)
Unspecified
Eurasian griffon vulture (Winter visitor) Unspecified
Egyptian vulture (Resident breeder) Endangered
Cinereous vulture (Winter visitor) Near Threatened
Lammergeier (Resident breeder) Least concern
Long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus) *
White rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis)
Slender-billed vulture (Gypstenuirostris),
Lammergeier (Gypaetus barabatus)
Cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus)
Himalayan griffon (gyps himalayensis)
Egyptian vulture
(Neophron percnopterus), (EN)
Eurasian griffon (Gyps fulvus)
Long-billed vulture
(Gyps indicus)
Red-headed vulture
(Sarcogyps calvus)
Out of these 9 species of vulture four species of vulture
found in nepal are classified by the IUCN as Critically
Endangered. These species are:
 Oriental white-backed vulture or White-rumped
vulture[Gyps bengalensis]
 Long-billed vulture [Gyps indicus]
 Slender-billed vulture [Gyps tenuirostris]
 Red-headed vulture or king vulture [Sarcogyps calvus]
Oriental white-backed vulture or Whiterumped vulture(Gyps bengalensis)
Slender-billed vulture
[Gyps tenuirostris]
Red-headed vulture or king vulture
[Sarcogyps calvus]
Long-billed vulture [Gyps indicus]

Vultures prevent the spread of diseases. In one
study in which vultures were fed disease-causing
organisms, including anthrax, it was found that most
bacteria were killed in the vultures' highly acidic
stomachs. In essence, vultures eat and sterilize
contaminated meat.

The majority of wild mammals do not succumb to
predators. Instead, they die from diseases, starvation,
parasites, fights over mates, competition, accidents,
or some combination of these. Vultures excel at
finding and eating these animals.

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Vultures have played important roles in several human
burial practices around the world. In deserts, or areas
with rocky soils or insufficient fuel for cremation,
disposal of human remains by vultures may be the
best and cleanest option.

Many vulture species around the world live closely
associated with human societies. These vultures feed
at garbage dumps, livestock facilities, and in streets,
removing human-caused waste that would otherwise
take up more space in landfills and possibly spread
disease.
Some scientists believe vultures in Africa were important
to early hunter-gatherer humans. The idea is this: early
humans, often in need of food, and especially highprotein food such as meat, were able to follow
descending vultures to carrion and a free meal.

Causes of Vulture Decline
Use of diclofenac drug(potential
NSAID(Non steroidal Anti-Inflammatory
Drug))
 Destruction and disturbance of nests.
 Poisoning
 Hunting for medicinal purpose and
recreation.

A poison to vultures

Vulture species in South Asia are declining at an
alarming rate and the primary cause of decline is
veterinary drug Diclofenac, which was widely used to
treat livestock in Asia. Vultures are exposed to
Diclofenac by feeding on livestock carcasses which
contain residue of this drug. Uric acid level is very high
on vultures exposed to Diclofenac and they die of
kidney failure. After identifying Diclofenac as the major
cause of decline of vulture population, a group of
national and international organization issued a
Manifesto in January 2004 (Vulture Rescue 2004). This
called for immediate action from the governments of all
Gyps vulture range states to prevent the veterinary use
of Diclofenac.

In Nepal conservation advocacy and awareness programmes on
the vulture declines and issue of diclofenac are being led by Bird
Conservation Nepal. Some of the achievements of this work are
listed below:

2006 - The Department of Drug Administration (DDA) issued a
directive to withdraw all licences to manufacture veterinary
diclofenac within Nepal and to ban the import of diclofenac in to
the country.

2006 Worked with the DDA to approve the use of the vulture
safe drug meloxicam and launched this drug in Nepal at a
ceremony in Kathmandu in collaboration with Medivet.

2008 - Secured support from the government for the creation of
a vulture conservation breeding centre within Chitwan National
Park in Nepal, working in collaboration with the Department of
National Parks and Wildlife Conservation and the National Trust
for Nature Conservation.
Consequences of Vulture Decline
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Today more than 99% of disposal mechanism has
been lost in Asia.
Pollution:Without vultures to efficiently remove
large amounts of decaying meat, both air and
groundwater would show increased contamination.
Spreading of Zoonotic diseases like
Tuberclosis,Brucellosis ,Anthrax etc .
Disturbance in ecosystem.
etc..
Jatayu

Vulture Restaurant concept was developed in
Nepal in 2009. The establishment of Vulture Safe
Zones was inspired by the vultures of South Asia
being on the brink of extinction. In just 2 decades,
five of the nine species of vultures of the Indian
sub-continent have declined by up to 99.9%. Bird
Conservation Nepal, together with a group called
Saving Asia's Vultures from Extinction (SAVE), is
working to reverse these declines by advocating
bans on the veterinary use of diclofenac and other
untested drugs in cattle, the main food of the
vultures.
Vulture Restaurants in Nepal are the first to be
community managed. Many are called "Jatayu
Restaurants" after the Hindu vulture god
Jatayu. Cows are, of course, regarded as sacred
animals in Nepal, so having them as the single
menu item at the restaurant takes some
creativity. This need has been met with having
an adjacent "cow hospice" where old and
"retired" cattle come to be fed and cared for until
their natural time to die. The cows are treated
diclofenac-free treatment and thus are safe for
the vultures.
Gaidahawa-Rupendehi,Near Lumbini
 Pithauli/Kawasoti-Nawalparasi
 Ghachowk-Kaski
 Lalmatiya-Dang,near banke NP
 Bijauri-Dang,Bhulke CF
 Khutiya-Kailali,Near Bardiya NP

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Community managed Safe feeding Sites for the
conservation of Critically endangered vultures.
Cow rescue centre,information centre,observation
hide,homestay facility.
Observation of vulture feeding.
Nesting sites for White –rumped vultures.
Covers internationaly important sites including
Important Bird Areas(IBAs) and Key Biodiversity
Areas (KBAs)
Nature walk and Bird watching
Products Prepared by local income generating
groups.
Adult Red-headed Vulture Sarcogyps calvus at the
Ghachowk vulture restaurant, Pokhara, Nepal, November
Four subadult Himalayan Griffons Gyps himalayensis at the Gaindahwa Lake vulture
restaurant, Nepal, December 2011.
Lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus in flight near the
Ghachowk vulture restaurant, Pokhara, Nepal
White-rumped Vulture Gyps
bengalensis at the Ghachowk vulture restaurant, Pokhara, Nepal
Our Concern
Although DDA has recently banned the
production and sale of diclofenac,still some
practitioners are using formulation of
diclofenac in the treatment of livestock
diseases. Thus the threat still looms with this
illegal practice which needs an immediate curb
.At the same time ,any sort of threats from
poisoning
,electrocution
and
human
persecution may pose potential threats to
continue this decline.Thus Immediate ban on
the use of diclofenac on the veterinary
practices could only solve the problem.