In a scientific approach to protecting critically endangered vulture population, the Forest Department has decided to conduct toxicological analysis in the event of any vulture death reported in its habitats spread across the Nilgiris and parts of Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) in Erode.
The toxicological analysis of the carcass will be done at Salim Ali Center for Ornithology and Natural History at Anaikatti in Coimbatore, said S. Ramasubramanian, Conservator of Forest (Working Plan), Coimbatore.
“Toxicological study will help various stakeholders involved in vulture conservation identify the cause of death of the scavengers of the forests scientifically. This is highly essential as more than 90 % decline has been reported in their population in the last two decades,” said Mr. Ramasubramanian.
Of the nine vulture species found in the Indian subcontinent, four namely, Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus), Red-headed vulture (Sarcogyps scalvus), White-backed vulture (Gyps bengalensis) and Long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus) are in the Nilgiris and in a small portion of the STR.
“Jagulikadavu and Siriyur in Segur range, which was recently annexed to Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR), has one of the biggest colonies of White-backed vulture and Long-billed vulture in South India. As many as 68 nestings of the two species were recorded at these places in 2011 and the colony luckily remains protected without significant decline in population,” said Mr. Ramasubramanian who, along with B. Ramakrishnan, assistant professor of Wildlife Biology at Government Arts College Udhagamandalam, has been studying and monitoring the nesting for the last seven years. Moyar valley is another prime habitat in the Nilgiris which has resident population of all the four species. As vultures stick to site fidelity, they build nest at the same location.
According to Mr. Ramakrishnan, use of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac on livestock was not a major threat to the vulture population due to healthy population of carnivore animals like tiger and leopard in MTR and STR.
“Vultures get adequate amount of animal kills to scavenge in MTR as it has one of the largest population of tiger in the country. But deliberate poisoning of remains of the livestock killed by carnivores in forest peripheries, as a retaliation by the livestock owners, is a threat to the vulture population,” said Mr. Ramakrishnan.
Poisoning of a single carcass could kill several vultures at a stroke.
“A request has been sent to the State Government to set up a Vulture Monitoring and Research Centre in the Nilgiris based on resolutions passed at the workshop ‘Securing Vulture Populations in India’ held at Udhagamandalam in January this year,” Mr. Ramasubramanian said.
