Researchers of Corbett-based Mahseer Conservancy, who have been undertaking the annual vulture monitoring exercise in the region, report that every evening, after the heat of the day, as many as 90 per cent of the vultures in the colony can be found perched on trees with their heads drooped forward and resting on their chests.

“This worrying behaviour has been noticed over the past two weeks. Given the length of time it has been occurring for, it is unlikely to be a result of diclofenac poisoning, as diclofenac kills the birds within two or three days of consumption. Experts from the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), the England-based Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), and other vulture experts have indicated that the abnormal behaviour is being caused by heat stress and dehydration. Eventually, the already rare birds will die from this stress on their bodies,” cautioned Sumantha Ghosh, founder of Mahseer Conservancy in an exclusive conversation with The Pioneer.

Given that there are only around ten birds left in the region, naturalists are trying hard to capture these birds when they fall on the ground so that they may be treated and saved.

Ghosh said, “As in humans, the sick vultures can be given rehydrating drips and kept in a controlled environment. Veterinarian Dr S Bhalla of Corbett Tiger Reserve has been helpful and has agreed to treat the birds in his safe hands. The only way to save vultures that have heat stress is to wait until they fall from the trees, capture them and quarantine them, with plenty of food and water easily accessible to them.”

According to Dr Vibhu Prakash, director of Pinjore-based Vulture Breeding Centre of BNHS, the birds will fall (from their perches) within a month and require entrapment for anti-stress treatment.

The Indian White-backed Vulture is an endangered species that has witnessed a 99 per cent decline in its population in the last decade.

Children of Ringora village helping for the conservation of vultures

Among their rare colonies is Ringora, an “encroached” village with around 25 families on either side of NH-121, about three km north of Ramnagar in Nainital district.
With the help of local village children, volunteers of the NGO have been trying to capture these birds. However, it is only a short span of about 5 minutes for which a vulture is on the ground before it hides away, and often it is too late by the time the volunteers reach the spot. Cognizant of the urgency to address the issue, Ghosh appealed through The Pioneer, “I request the State forest department and concerned citizens to help with providing bird trappers who can stay in the vicinity for immediate action. Otherwise, it will not be long before we lose the few endangered species that we have left in the State.”

In the last twenty years three species of Indian vulture have gone from being one of the most prolifically abundant raptors to top of the IUCN Critically Endangered list. The reason behind the current Indian Vulture disaster that befell those graceful giants of the sky is the same as for the cause of the declines in so many other species; humans. But is there something that stands out about the Indian Sub-continent vulture crisis from other animal wipe-outs, past and present, and is there a last hope for the vultures?

It is difficult for someone from a country where vultures have never been present to grasp the breath-taking rapidity and scale of this wipe-out. India in the mid 1980’s had an estimated 40 million of just Indian white-backed vultures (Gyps bengalensis). These birds were a part of the urban and country scenery as crow or seagulls in the UK. And then they were gone. Vanished. The figure for White-backed vultures is over 99.9% of the population killed, and the rest going the same way.

Nowadays the factors influencing the destruction of the world’s species are usually at the same time well-known and complex issues. In all too many cases the people and companies causing the destruction of wildlife are entirely conscious of what they are doing; the poachers who takes the last tiger out from a tiger reserve, the company which takes toxic waste out to sea and dumps it because the fine is tiny fraction of the cost of dealing with it responsibly. In these cases the catalysts stem from huge issues like global poverty and corporate greed.

Extinction of vultures in India was not something that anybody planned or wanted.

Diclofenac’s impact on vultures was totally unexpected. Perhaps the vulture disaster falls into the category of unforeseen, unintentional accidental exterminations of wildlife, except that in this case humans are already suffering the damage along with the vultures. Some figures for the costs both in terms of human health and economic costs to the Indian government are both astronomical and plausible.

Diclofenac was the silent invisible assassin of the vulture, a pain-killer for livestock introduced at the end of the 1980s. By the time is was discovered to be the cause of the vulture kill-off and the prompt and well adhered to ban for veterinary use implemented it was already too late for most the vultures.

With it completely gone from livestock there would hypothetically be no real obstacles in their way given enough time; the food availability is still there and many vultures will happily nest in villages so long as there are suitable trees.

However with veterinary Diclofenac banned, now human-use Diclofenac (which is the same product with the same effects on vultures) has been subverted to the livestock market. In almost every village in India there will be a small, non-descript drugstore and in perhaps a large percentage of these shops local dairy farmers, probably completely unaware of the ban or consequences will be buying Diclofenac for their cattle.

When talking to people they relate how they used to see so many vultures. They used to be a part of the scenery. Vultures were one of those few species who people thought could never go away, and had even adapted to benefit from humans and flourish around them. Meanwhile they were performing an invaluable cleaning service to us, in the least intrusive way possible. The biggest intrusion a vulture can ever have to a human is to poo on him, and this requires co-operation by the person to stand underneath the vulture and wait.

The vulture has shown itself to be an adaptable, useful and likeable creature to humans, and the case for preserving them at least in small numbers comes down to one main problem; removing human-use Diclofenac from the veterinary market. This at least presents a clear cut and definable target, and is helped by the facts that nobody makes fortunes selling it under-the-counter, or buys it to deliberately poison vultures, and lastly that there is clearly a large economic incentive for the return of vultures. With all the good work that went into banning and removing Diclofenac from the market and replacing it with an affordable alternative, Meloxicam, it would surely be tragic to let the last few wild vultures slip away now. The human population explosion that is currently taking more and more available habitat and the chemical toxins we are contaminated the earth, water, air, and biosphere become more numerous and complex in their affects the more species will struggle to survive. If a species as abundant and tolerant of humans as gyps vultures can be so devastated in a such a short time then we must consider this a warning shot to be heeded.

In a major boost for environmentalists, vultures were sighted in Uttarakhand after the recent discovery of the near-extinct birds in Himachal Pradesh.

Over 150 vultures of five species can be found nesting and feeding at three locations around Ramnagar in Uttarakhand — Van Gujjar village of Tumeria, Ringora and Hatidagar. The three sites fall under two categories:

Regular nesting sites (Ringora and Tumeria): Vultures are consistently seen roosting and occupying nests throughout the year and these are likely to be important breeding sites;

Regular feeding sites (Hatidagar): Cattle carcasses are regularly left here and vultures feed on them.

Ringora is an “encroached” village with around 25 families on either side of NH-121, about thee km north of Ramnagar in Nainital district. Earlier, Ringora residents used to keep a large number of cattle. However, at a time when the natural scavengers suffer a population catastrophe triggered by medicines; at Ringora, Indian white-backed vultures are seen roosting virtually every day on four trees, all of which are large kadam (Adina Cordifolia) trees. In a monitoring research undertaken recently by a Corbett-based vulture conservation NGO, 235 white-backed vultures were recorded in 60 observations spread over a month. Vultures in groups of 15 or more are often sighted here.

Significantly, the slender-billed vulture (SBVs), which is even more threatened than the tiger in India, has also been roosting occasionally at Ringora. A captive breeding scheme in India, run by a coalition of conservation groups, including the Royal Society for Protection of Birds and the Zoological Society of London, has seen successful hatching and fledging of two slender-billed vultures for the first time this year. Given that there are just 1,000 slender-billed vultures left in the wild, even the five resident SBVs recorded by researchers is good news for conservationists. Besides, Cinereous or black vulture and red-headed vulture have also been spotted at Ringora.

The second colony borders Tumeria dam, 22.5 km south-west of Ramnagar in Udham Singh Nagar. It is a village of Van Gujjars with about 15 families. Their general attitude is quite pro-vulture and, interestingly, the village also has an old Government poster dating at least 10 years with information on Rajasthani vultures. Well-known for their large holdings of buffaloes, these Gujjars have herds of hundreds grazing in and around the reservoir.

The village is surrounded on three sides by degraded sal forest (Shorea Robusta) and on these trees can be seen large numbers of white-backed vultures and their nests. The villagers say the vultures have been constantly roosting in the village for a couple of years now.

According to Tumeria residents, around 40 vultures can be seen roosting after 4 pm just about every day. Corroborating it, Sumantha Ghosh of Corbett Tiger Reserve in interactions with The Pioneer recounted having observed 49 vultures on August 24 and 39 vultures on August 2 this year.

The vultures found at Tumeria roost in the upper canopy of the sal trees in the village and appear to nest within the approximate boundaries of the village. Forest officials attributed the presence of the very large number of vultures in the area to frequent presence of carcasses nearby.

The third location is a regular feeding site of the white-backed, Egyptian and slender-billed vultures. Hatidagar is a scattered village 9.2 km south-west of Ramnagar in Nainital. The place where these vultures are being sighted is not situated within the village, but is close to a gurdwara by the side of a drying riverbed, where cattle carcasses are regularly left. On July 23, 17 SBVs and 12 WBVs were recorded (the majority observed feeding on the remains of a carcass) and on August 24, 17 WBVs were present at this site.

Information from local naturalists indicates that the vultures have been frequenting this place regularly in the last couple of years. Both slender-billed and white-backed species appear to use the Bombax Ceiba trees, popularly known as cotton trees, as temporary roosting spots while there is food available at the site. With their breeding season at its peak starting October, dedicated monitoring and preservation of these vulture colonies must be taken up on priority; for their extinction is likely in the next 10 years. We do not have any time to waste.

You can find this article by clicking on the following link:

http://www.dailypioneer.com/206903/Hope-takes-wings-as-vulture-colonies-thrive-in-Uttarakhand.html

RAMNAGAR – With the vulture population declining alarmingly in Uttarakhand’s Ramnagar area, which adjoins the Corbett Wildlife Sanctuary, a group of pro-wildlife activists and forest rangers are engaged in spreading public awareness about their conservation in the region.

Under the banner of the Corbett Vulture Conservation Committee, the NGO activists recently used the annual Ramlilas, held during the Dussehra festival, to promote awareness about vultures.

Jatayu Bhagwan, a Demi god in form of a vulture, who finds mention in they mythological epic Ramayana, was used to spread the message of conservation , the idea being to use mythology to educate the masses.

The near extinction of vultures has caused ecological concern as vultures eat up carcasses and keep jungles free of diseases.

As per reports, 99 per cent of the country’s vulture population has vanished mainly because of consuming cow carcasses are treated with the anti-inflammatory drug Diclofenac Sodium, the production of which was banned in 2006.

Officials say, the use of the drug is rampant and efforts are on to dissuade people from using the drug.

“It is awareness regarding this salt called Diclofenac because though the veterinary one has been banned, the alternate of that is human Diclofenac which is being used rampantly (for livestock of cattle). And they give you one dose, which you are recommended to apply three injections. So our studies show that in adjoining forested areas of the Corbett Tiger Reserve, which is in the Terai west area, not in the forested areas but in the habitat areas of the adjoining Terai west and Ramnagar.

There were many villages where the use of diclofenac, human diclofenac, is still quite rampant. So which is a huge cause of alarm. So this is what our awareness programme is all about,” said Sumantha Ghosh, Director, Corbett Vulture Conservation Committee.

Even renowned wildlife documentary filmmaker Mike Pandey has worked on the subject and made a movie titled ‘The Vanishing vulture’.

This movie was screened during the ‘Ramlila’ plays to draw public attention towards the declining number of vultures.

Besides, the activists also opted to talk to people and distributed pamphlets with information about the need for vulture conservation.

According to experts, connected to the conservation of vultures, the mission is important in the Indian subcontinent else it could lead to serious repercussions like the spread of disease.

“So this sort of global implication is mainly that, we have the awareness of the early warning signs, that some drugs are used and have become more commonly used, and may effect all kinds of animals in unknown ways. So some kind of testing for these kind of effects in the future, this is the warning that you get from this….as well as the implication to the health costs to the Indian subcontinent,” said Oliver Grey Reed, a vulture conservation specialist of United Kingdom, who is also associated with the conservation drive in Ramnagar with Corbett Vulture Conservation Committee.

Birds eating drug-infused carcasses suffer from kidney damage, increased serum uric acid concentrations, visceral gout and death.

The drug was introduced in India in 1995. Although the production and sale of Diclofenac has been banned, the implementation has been slow.

Vultures find a place in Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the country’s only legal framework to protect endangered species, which prohibits hunting and trafficking of endangered species.

Conservationists around the world have also called upon the Indian Government to intensify a captive breeding programme for the threatened species.

You can find this article on the web at all the following links:

http://www.andhranews.net/India/2009/September/29-Vulture-conservation-gets-31097.asp

www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-120791.html

http://trak.in/news/vulture-conservation-gets-a-boost-through-ramlilas-in-uttarakhand/8639/

www.newstin.co.uk/tag/uk/147629878

http://connect.in.com/dussehra-messages/article-vulture-conservation-gets-a-boost-through-ramlilas-in-uttarakhand-565db71e5f23379559ea2fb270dd49493349b679.html

http://www.india4u.com/india4unews/Vulture-conservation-gets-a-boost-through-Ramlilas-in-Uttarakhand-212407-1.htm

http://www.dailyindia.com/show/293104.php

http://blog.taragana.com/n/vulture-conservation-gets-a-boost-through-ramlilas-in-uttarakhand-180335/

http://sify.com/news/moreheadlines.php?tag=Ramnagar&vsv=tag

http://www.wikio.co.uk/entertainment/media/publishing/sanctuary_group

http://news.indiaid.com/blog/_archives/2009/9/29 (middle of page)

http://newsrack.in/browse?issue=Environment&catID=6&owner=indiatogether

While he was here, Jacob stayed at Ringora’s homestay. It was an ideal place to work since there is a colony of White-rumped vultures in three trees, located at about 50m from the homestay. Every morning, Jacob did an early monitoring of the vultures sitting in the trees and nests, recording the number of juveniles and adults present. He also recorded the take-off times, the landing times and every time he would see a vulture flying in the sky. He also went to Tumeria Khatta inhabited by Van Gujjars tribes who are traditionally herdsmen, where another colony of vulture has been identified. He regularly monitored the feeding site of Hathi Dagar, where carcasses are regularly dumped and vultures come to feed.

Jacob is from Montreal (Canada) but lives nowadays in the south of France. He has been passionate by raptors and wolves since he was five and always wanted to act for their protection. He did a five weeks internship in a falconry park, in France, which made him work closely with birds of prey. Jacob also loves mountains, trekking and wildlife. He did graduation in sciences and is currently following a two years course (a High National Diploma) in “Management and Protection of Nature” at the University Legta des Barres (France).

Jacob ended up with very good data regarding vulture population of the area but also good ideas regarding their conservation, like for example opening a vulture restaurant, where carcasses would be left for the vultures.His internship in India was an exceptional experience and he will never forget it. This trip was also a chance for him to work concretely with birds of prey, and it also gave him an idea on his future job.  After this course he would like to continue his studies in mountains areas, more precisely to work for the conservation of raptors and/or wolves in the French Alps.

Hanuman and Ram

Ram Leelas are one of the most celebrated festivals in the Hindu religion. The format is for every town and village to hold their own Ram Leelas re-enacting the Ramayana – the story of Rama – over 10 consecutive days, telling each “chapter” of the story on the different days.

The general overview of the Ramayana is that after Rama, Lakshman and Sita are exiled into the forest Sita is kidnapped by the king of Lanka, Ravana. With the help of the monkey army led by Hanuman and also some vultures who have seen Ravana taking Sita, Rama and Lakshman begin their epic voyage to rescue Sita and for Rama to gain his rightful place as the king of Kosala.

The Ramayana is a very animalistic story – there are various animals that are important to not only the Indian culture and Hindu religion but also crucial to the survival of the Indian wildlife and nature. For example there is the vulture that, after being mortally wounded trying to rescue Sita from Ravana, the king of Lanka, which informs Rama and Lakshman that Sita has been kidnapped. Also Rama is cursed after Rama’s father kills a Sarus Crane (the tallest flying bird) at the beginning of the story – and it is due to this curse that eventually Rama’s step-mother gets Rama exiled for fourteen years and gives the story reason to happen. There is also the golden deer that Sita wants Rama to kill which then leads to Lakshman leaving Sita by their hut and eventually being enticed out of the magic circle and getting kidnapped by the demon-king of Lanka.

Vanishing Vultures being Screened

Even in the small villages the Ram Leelas are made to be as impressive as possible. There are hundreds of people attending in the small villages and even more in the bigger towns; each Ram Leela is full of singing, dancing, music and general festivities.  Throughout the evening there are pauses in proceedings in between acts. These are primarily for changing the costumes, the background and also giving the people a little rest to get some food etc. Normally these intervals last between 20-30mins. It is these intervals that give Mahseer Conservancy the perfect opportunity to raise awareness to the local people and farmers about the critical decline of the vulture population throughout the whole of India.

The Ram Leelas are also used to raise awareness by Mahseer Conservancy as there are hundreds of people all in one place looking at the stage – where, of course, there was, during the intervals, a projector screen placed in full view. The plan was for the “V-team” to go to the Ram Leelas and during the intervals to put on a short film promoting awareness as to why the vultures are dying out at such an alarming rate and also showing how they, the people, could prevent the extinction of a creature that is vital to the eco-system.

Sanjay appeals for vultures

After the film was shown there was a short speech made to emphasize the most important parts of the feature and also awareness leaflets were handed out en-masse to as many people as possible in the audience.

Distributing Pamphelets

Although it’s impossible to measure the success of the campaign using numbers and figures it is possible to show how much people cared about it; the Ramayana and therefore Ram Leelas are big Hindu festivals and no-one objected to the film depicting dead cows and even the skinning of the cow carcasses which is quite amazing as it showed that even the more religious Hindus were prepared to look at pictures of to them, sacred, cows dead and dying in the name of vulture conservation. Not to mention the amount of press coverage that the campaign got – making it on to both local and nation television, and also getting into the newspapers.

Simple Message for an Important Issue

Audience watching Vulture awareness programme

Hopefully, and with the help of this type of awareness rising, in the near future we will be able to see vultures circling in the sky once again.