Vulture: An Ecologically Sound Scavenger
- By : resourceshimalaya.org
- September 1, 2023
Nepal has an extraordinarily rich bird diversity with a documentation of about 880 species of bird in the country. Nearly 20% of Nepal’s birds (167 species) are threatened with extinction in the country including 37 species which are threatened on a global scale (ZSL, 2016).. The largest flying bird in Nepal is the vulture which is threatened or endangered species of Nepal, according to IUCN Red List Category. Vultures are useful birds to humans in many ways and the-relationship has ecological, cultural, economic and conservation dimensions. They are nature’s most effective scavengers and contribute to keeping the area clean and sanitary.
Tragically, the number of vultures dramatically decreased throughout the 2000s. Scientists concluded that the anti-inflammatory medicine Diclofenac given to the elderly domestic animals was the main culprit for declining vulture population. In 2006, diclofenac was banned for veterinary use in Nepal. In 2009, the Nepal Vulture Conservation Action Plan (2009–2013) came into effect. Currently, the revised Nepal Vulture Conservation Action Plan (2015–19) is being implemented (Bhusal, 2018).
Other serious threats to vultures include secondary poisoning, agrochemical poisoning, electrocution, habitat degradation, and an inadequate supply of carcasses. The public’s attitude of vultures is also seen to be shifting in an ideal direction; most people now see them as a benefit rather than a threat. Similar to humans, all animals on earth have a right to life and freedom. Conducting campaign for raising awareness and implementing conservation plan through public participation may help in restoring vulture population in Nepal..
References
Bhusal, K. (2018). Vulture Safe Zone: A landscape level approach to save the threatened vultures in Nepal. 1.
Inskipp C., Baral H. S., Phuyal S., Bhatt T. R., Khatiwada M., Inskipp, T, Khatiwada A., Gurung S., Singh P. B., Murray L., Poudyal L. and Amin R. (2016) The status of Nepal’s Birds: The national red list series. Zoological Society of London, UK..
Ganga Poudel
