Causes of Decline
The rapid decline of approximately 98% of India’s vulture population was attributed to the popular veterinary drug Diclofenac. Diclofenac is a no steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to reduce inflammation in cattle and other livestock to which vultures are highly allergic as it causes liver failure. (Taggart, 2007)
As a result, feral dogs had a sudden abundant source of carcasses to feed on as they have replaced vultures as the main scavengers. Not only did feral dog population numbers explode as a result of the absence of vultures – rabies numbers shot through the roof as the dogs became the primary reservoirs for the virus. This “Asian vulture crisis” caused India to spend an additional $34 billion dollars on healthcare …show more content…
After finding Diclofenac to be the culprit different international workshops and conferences were held in different places in 2004 and 2006 (ISARPW, 2004). Following the recommendations as given in the workshops and conferences, in 2006 the manufacture and importation of Diclofenac was banned by India (MoEF, 2006), Nepal (DNPWC/MoFSC/GoN, 2009) and Pakistan (Green et al., 2007) and the use of meloxicam in place of Diclofenac was emphasized.
Beside the ban on Diclofenac, programs to make the effective implementation different regions of Nepal are being conducted on regular basis (BCN, 2010). As in-situ conservation approach, 21 districts of Nepal covering an area of 39,122 sq. km are declared and managed as Diclofenac Free Zones, also known as Provisional VSZ (Paudel, 2012). Similarly, the community- based Vulture Safe Feeding Sites are established in six places of five districts (Paudel, 2012). As an approach of ex- situ conservation, Vulture Conservation Breeding Center has been set up within the premises of Chitwan National Park in 2008 (BCN,
The rapid decline of approximately 98% of India’s vulture population was attributed to the popular veterinary drug Diclofenac. Diclofenac is a no steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to reduce inflammation in cattle and other livestock to which vultures are highly allergic as it causes liver failure. (Taggart, 2007)
As a result, feral dogs had a sudden abundant source of carcasses to feed on as they have replaced vultures as the main scavengers. Not only did feral dog population numbers explode as a result of the absence of vultures – rabies numbers shot through the roof as the dogs became the primary reservoirs for the virus. This “Asian vulture crisis” caused India to spend an additional $34 billion dollars on healthcare …show more content…
After finding Diclofenac to be the culprit different international workshops and conferences were held in different places in 2004 and 2006 (ISARPW, 2004). Following the recommendations as given in the workshops and conferences, in 2006 the manufacture and importation of Diclofenac was banned by India (MoEF, 2006), Nepal (DNPWC/MoFSC/GoN, 2009) and Pakistan (Green et al., 2007) and the use of meloxicam in place of Diclofenac was emphasized.
Beside the ban on Diclofenac, programs to make the effective implementation different regions of Nepal are being conducted on regular basis (BCN, 2010). As in-situ conservation approach, 21 districts of Nepal covering an area of 39,122 sq. km are declared and managed as Diclofenac Free Zones, also known as Provisional VSZ (Paudel, 2012). Similarly, the community- based Vulture Safe Feeding Sites are established in six places of five districts (Paudel, 2012). As an approach of ex- situ conservation, Vulture Conservation Breeding Center has been set up within the premises of Chitwan National Park in 2008 (BCN,