Vulture Conservation (Ecology)
Vulture Conservation (Ecology)
Why In News:
A radio-tagged white-rumped vulture, part of an ongoing conservation monitoring programme, was found electrocuted in Tamil Nadu, drawing fresh attention to the threats facing one of India's most critically endangered raptors and the broader status of vulture conservation efforts in the country.
Source: The Hindu, Page 1, 30 June 2026, 'Radio-tagged white-rumped vulture electrocuted in T.N.'
About the White-rumped Vulture
Scientific name: Gyps bengalensis, once one of the most abundant large raptors in the world found across the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
IUCN status: Listed as Critically Endangered; its population crashed by more than 99 percent between the early 1990s and 2000s.
Cause of decline: The veterinary use of Diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) given to cattle, proved fatal to vultures that fed on carcasses of treated animals, causing kidney failure and visceral gout.
Vulture species in India: India is home to nine vulture species including the White-rumped, Indian or Long-billed, Slender-billed, Himalayan Griffon, Eurasian Griffon, Cinereous, Red-headed, Egyptian and Bearded Vulture (Lammergeier).
Conservation Measures
Diclofenac ban: The Government of India banned the veterinary use of Diclofenac in 2006 and has promoted Meloxicam as a vulture-safe alternative.
Vulture Safe Zones (VSZ): Designated areas, typically with a radius of about 100 km around breeding colonies, where the presence of harmful veterinary drugs is monitored and minimised.
Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre: Located at Pinjore in Haryana, run with the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), it is among India's key vulture breeding facilities.
Other breeding centres: Additional centres operate at Rani (Assam), Rajabhatkhawa (West Bengal) and Junagadh (Gujarat) under collaborative state and central efforts..
SAVE consortium: Saving Asia's Vultures from Extinction is an international consortium of conservation organisations coordinating vulture recovery work across South Asia.
Key Facts for Prelims
Legal protection: Vultures are protected under the highest protection schedule of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and are listed under CITES Appendix II.
International Vulture Awareness Day: Observed on the first Saturday of September every year.
Radio-tagging: Satellite or radio-tagging of vultures helps scientists track movement patterns, identify mortality causes and locate Vulture Safe Zones more effectively.