Vultures For Our Future

Vultures are nature’s most efficient clean-up crew. About three decades back, they numbered thousands across Asia including India. But their populations crashed by up to 99% due to toxicity caused by drugs called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), especially Diclofenac. These drugs are used to treat the livestock that vultures typically feed on. 

When vulture populations crashed, dead animal carcasses started piling up, allowing build-up of disease-causing microorganisms, stench and pollution of soil and water sources. It also allowed increase in populations of dogs, kites and other smaller scavengers. Increase in feral dog populations across India has led to increase in number of dog-bites, and consequent rabies cases, creating a major public health problem.

Now most vultures are critically endangered and reduced to small populations across South Asia. The Mudumalai-Sathyamangalam region of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR), especially the Sigur plateau, supports one of the largest populations of vultures in southern India. These include the Critically Endangered Long-billed (LBV; Gyps indicus), Red-headed (RHV; Sarcogyps calvus), White-rumped (WRV; Gyps bengalensis), and the Endangered Egyptian (EV; Neophron percnopterus) vultures. They continue to be threatened by toxicity from  Diclofenac and other NSAIDs, poisoning by pesticides, habitat destruction, carcass poisoning, and persecution.

Our project will study vulture habitat use and requirements in the Nilgiri Biosphere, especially in the Mudumalai-Sathyamangalam region over the next two years. Through field surveys and help from local tribals and vulture experts, we will map vulture habitat use and develop habitat suitability models for the same. We will study how changes in the habitat due to changes in climate (temperature, rainfall, hydrology), land use, land cover (including invasive species), and human and livestock disturbance impact vulture habitat use. We will also undertake livestock carcass surveys to estimate continued threat from NSAIDs to vultures in the region. This will help better understand the threats to this critical vulture population and develop long-term vulture conservation strategies in the region.

All vulture species that we wish to study are listed as Critically Endangered or Endangered by the IUCN due to a decline of about 90% of their populations globally. The small populations living in and around protected areas could very well be the last strongholds of the species in India. It is, therefore, important to ensure survival of all local vulture populations to ensure the future survival of the species. The MTR-STR region has been identified as one of the most important vulture habitats for southern India under the Vulture Conservation Action Plan of the Government of India as well as by the Save Asian Vultures from Extinction (SAVE) consortium. It is slated to be developed as a vulture-safe zone by the government so that it can serve as a site for release of captive-bred vultures in the future. Hence, it is important to ensure reduction or removal of the threat from NSAIDs and other drugs toxic to vultures to ensure survival of release vultures. This project will help towards that through targeted education of local pharmacy owners and veterinarians. This is important to ensure that vultures can access food that is safe for them.