Vulture facing threat of disappearance in Bardiya

BARDIYA, Aug 22: Vulture species known as nature’s sweeper is facing a threat of disappearance from the district, thanks to various factors like habitat loss, lack of prey, and the use of diclofenac in the treatment of ailing cattle.

Unlike in the past, the bird species is rarely spotted at present. The factors like habitat loss and lack of prey are pushing the endangered bird species on the verge of decline, said conservationists.

Vultures die or lose their reproduction capacity once they eat carcasses of ailing cattle treated with diclofenac, anti-inflammatory which is widely used in the treatment of livestock , said Ram Bahadur Shahi, member-secretary of the Nepal Vulture Conservation Campaign.
Following grave impact of the drug on the bird, the government has banned its use across the country. Now, around 64 districts have been declared diclofenac free zone.

There are 23 types of the bird species across the world, and Nepal is home to nine of them. Of them, white-rumped and slender-billed vultures are categorized as critically endangered.
The population of bearded vulture (Lammergeier), Egyptian Griffon, Himalayan Griffon, European Griffon, cinereous and red-headed has dwindled in the recent years. RSS