Wildlife experts call for 'vulture cafes' to ensure survival, conservation

PILIBHIT: On the occasion of International Vulture Awareness Day, wildlife experts have appealed to wildlife enthusiasts, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the general public to establish 'vulture cafes' to create a sustainable food source in an effort to protect and preserve India's dwindling vulture population.

In Uttar Pradesh, the state's forest department took an active role in commemorating this important day. Meanwhile, the Institute of Wildlife Science at Lucknow University, in collaboration with the UP State Biodiversity Board, conducted a virtual lecture session for forest officials and organised various competitions for school students. These initiatives aimed to instil a deeper understanding of the pivotal role vultures play in ecological balance.

Amita Kanaujia, a professor at the Institute of Wildlife Science and the convener of the virtual lecture session, said, "The dairy keepers and the farmers, in coordination with the forest officials, should select suitable locations at the fringes of forests where vultures are known to gather. Here, the carcasses of deceased domestic animals could be deposited to provide a consistent food source for these birds."

"Vultures prefer to make their nests at the top of certain trees like banyan, terminalia arjuna, silk cotton trees, etc. However, their nesting sites often face disruption due to human activities like tree branch trimming for firewood and the presence of people near these trees. Restrictions on such negative activities need to be imposed to encourage natural vulture breeding," she added.

Vibhu Prakash, the deputy director of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), said that in the early 1900s, the vulture population in India was over 4 crore, but by the end of the year 2007, they had dwindled in number by 99.9% due to the massive use of diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory drug, on cattle.

"This drug, which the government of India banned in 2006 following reports of vultures' deaths, was transmitted to the vultures' blood veins and damaged their kidneys when they consumed the carcasses of such animals," Prakash added.

Following the ban, the vultures’ population increased, but at an extremely slow pace. "Currently, only nine vulture species survive in India. Their combined numbers hover around 35,000 to 40,000," Prakash said.