Saving the vultures of Tamil Nadu

• Recently, the Tamil Nadu government formed a committee to set up an institutional framework for the effective conservation of vultures.
• The State is home to four species of vultures :
• White-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis)
• Long-billed vultures (Gyps indicus)
• Asian king-vulture (Sarcogyps calvus)
• Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus).

Vulture populations in Tamil Nadu

• Nilgiris, Erode and Coimbatore districts form one of the largest contiguous expanses where vultures are spotted.
• Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, parts of the Nilgiris forest division and the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve
• Home to the nesting sites of three of the four species of vultures seen in the State
• Occasional migrants - Himalayan griffon vulture and the Cinerous vulture
• Has the largest population of vultures south of Vindhya Range.

Decreasing vultures

• The population in Nilgiris, Erode and Coimbatore has remained largely stable, but the numbers are still extremely low.
• A single poisoning event could lead to several of the species going locally extinct - long-billed and Asian king vulture.
• Breeding seasons have also seen fewer hatchings than the norm.
• Reason: lesser availability of prey as well as erratic weather.
• Use of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) to treat cattle
  • Diclofenac, nimesulide, ketoprofen.

Role of vultures in the local ecosystem

• Act as scavengers
• Help prevent the spread of many diseases
• Can remove toxins from entering the environment by consuming carcasses of dead cattle/wildlife before they decompose.
• But their tolerance for harmful substances does not extend to man-made drugs.

Challenges impacting vultures in the State

• Temple tourism in the Sigur plateau
• Centred primarily around vulture habitats, such as Siriyur, Anaikatty and Bokkapuram.
• Instances of vultures abandoning nesting sites located too close to temples inside these reserves.
• Spread of invasive weeds
• Hinder the birds from scavenging as their large wing-spans require plenty of open area to safely land and to fly off.
• Other challenges:
• Illegal tapping of water along the streams
• Possible climate change
• Forest fires,
• Terminalia arjuna trees used by vultures as nesting sites are disappearing.

Steps taken

• Banned on the use of diclofenac, a drug, to treat cattle in the state
• Strict restrictions for the sale of NSAIDs in the Nilgiris, Erode and Coimbatore districts.
• A call for a synchronous vulture census to accurately identify vulture populations and nesting sites.

Prelims Takeaway

• Gyps Vulture Program