The steady decline of vultures has largely concerned wildlife enthusiasts and nature lovers. A book recently released by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department puts forth the gravity of the situation as the scavenging birds play a major role in cleaning up animal carcasses on the surface of the earth.

The book titled ‘Aftermath of Diclofenac and Vulture Conservation in Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve – Moyar Valley’ was launched during the National Level Workshop on Capacity Building for Effective Wildlife Law and Enforcement at the Tamil Nadu Forest Academy on Friday.

In a collection of research articles, the editors of the book S.Chandrasekaran, Life Member of the Madras Naturalists’ Society, Dr.N.Kalaivanan, former Veterinary Doctor at Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and Dr.B.Ramakrishnan, Assistant Professor of the Ooty Government Arts College have discussed in detail the reasons for loss and the recovery of vulture habitat so as to ensure their existence.

Being recently added in the list of critically endangered birds that was released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2015, the habitat of vultures which were found throughout the country have been largely restricted to the Moyar Valley that adjoins three tiger reserves including Sathyamangalam, Mudumalai and Bandhipur.

S.Chandrasekaran, one of the editors of the book told Covai Post that studies have revealed decline of vultures in urban areas, and same with the wild hence the dire need to conserve .

“We did a Rapid Raptor Survey last year in the valley and found that there are approximately more than 120 vultures belonging to four species. Found in the south is White-Rumped Vulture (gyps bengalensis) with a predominant count of more than 100; The Red Headed Vulture (sarcogyps calvus) is less than 10; the Long Billed Vulture (gyps indicus) is less than five and only one Egyptian Vulture (neophron percnopterus) has been spotted in 2010,” he pointed out.

However, Chandrasekaran also noted that conservation is a holistic approach and does not involve statistical jugglery or distortion and further claimed that a statistical model is not required for conservation.

Claiming the use of diclofenac, a Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) to cattle has largely contributed to the loss of vultures, in one of the articles N.Kalaivanan, another editor has also claimed that environmental changes, deliberate poisoning of cattle to kill carnivores, low food availability, poaching; infectious diseases and tampering with vulture habitats are also reasons that have chased the vultures to their last home in South India, the Moyar Valley.

According to the editors, vultures no more occur in Karnataka or Kerala but are found in the valley alone in the state of Tamil Nadu

Finding solutions, Kalaivanan further exclaims that promoting dedicated research on vultures considering conservation; curbing the formulation of diclofenac which is banned by the central government as it directly affects the kidneys of the avian; finding an alternate drug that is not harmful; close monitoring of the scavenging birds and creating awareness among people could help save the birds.

Emphasizing on the importance of the presence of vultures, the book also states that if vultures are extinct, it would lead to the outbreak of diseases as most of the carcasses in the wild would be largely left to rotten without being cleaned.