Vultures feed on large ungulate carcasses: Study

Bengaluru: A study led by city scientists and conducted across several Indian states has shed light on the dietary habits of the threatened vulture species, providing crucial insights for their conservation efforts.The research, published in the journal Biological Conservation, employed a novel metabarcoding technique (plant and animal identification based on DNA-based identification and rapid DNA sequencing) to analyse faecal samples from four vulture species within the genus Gyps: The White-rumped vulture, Indian vulture, Eurasian griffon, and Himalayan griffon.Mosumi Ghosh-Harihar, lead author of the paper, said: “Metabarcoding allowed us to generate data on vulture diets from a large number of faecal samples very efficiently and reliably. We could use samples collected without disturbing the birds. The pipeline (designed by us) allowed us to simultaneously identify the vulture species, its sex and dietary species.”Led by scientists from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS-TIFR) in Bengaluru, Bombay Natural History Society, department of zoology at the University of Cambridge, Karnataka Vulture Conservation Trust, and Hume Centre for Ecology and Wildlife Biology, the study found that large ungulates (a wide class of herbivores), both domestic and wild, were the main dietary components for these vultures.However, the composition of their diet varied significantly. In most regions, vultures primarily scavenged on domestic ungulate carcasses, likely because of high livestock availability. Conversely, in South Indian states, vultures primarily fed on wild ungulate remains, potentially because of lower livestock carcass availability and cultural traditions involving cattle and buffalo meat consumption.The findings underscore the vulture’s significant dependence on domestic ungulate carrion, highlighting the need for continued efforts to eliminate harmful veterinary drugs, such as diclofenac, which caused catastrophic declines in vulture populations in the 1990s and early 2000s.“Diclofenac-contaminated carcasses, when scavenged by the vultures, led to widespread mortality. Particularly, populations of the three resident Gyps species (G bengalensis, G indicus, G tenuirostris) witnessed a staggering decline of greater than 95%, making them critically endangered and prompting prohibition of veterinary diclofenac in India and neighbouring countries by 2006,” NCBS said.Illegal drug useTwo decades later, however, the numbers of all three species remain low and relatively stable, with no signs of recovery. Despite the ban on diclofenac, its illegal use in treating livestock persists and remains unregulated in many pockets of the country, NCBS added.“Our results emphasize the need for a continued ban on veterinary diclofenac use, as well as other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)… We hope these biological insights can contribute to on-ground population management for their conservation and recovery,” said Prof Uma Ramakrishnan, senior author of the study from NCBS. Researchers call for ongoing conservation actions, including testing drugs for their impact on vultures, advocating for legal bans, and ensuring enforcement and education to promote compliance. With vulture populations still critically low and showing no signs of recovery, this study provides valuable information to guide targeted conservation strategies.
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.