The white-backed vulture

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The Telangana forest department requested some white-backed vultures from Gadchiroli for captive breeding at Hyderabad

A brief note on the issue

• The forest department of Telangana state, which had requested for 10 (5 pairs) of white-backed vultures from Gadchiroli for captive breeding at Hyderabad in February last year.
• Following the request, the Maharashtra forest department had sought clearance from the central government for the transfer of the vultures, under Section 12 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
• Once approved, these vultures will be placed in Hyderabad’s Nehru Zoological Park
• The Telangana forest department is implementing a vulture conservation project, sponsored by Central Zoo Authority (CZA). 
• The zoo is also among 10 zoos in the country selected for upgradation to global standards by the CZA. 
• CZA has assigned Nehru Zoological Park as the site for conservation breeding of mouse deer and vultures.

About white-backed vultures 

• The 2007 all-India survey indicated the numbers of the oriental white-backed vultures had declined by a staggering 99.9% over the preceding 15 years
• Numbers of white-backed vultures – once the most common large raptor in the world – have collapsed mainly due to the use of Diclofenac, a painkiller drug, in veterinary practice. 
• The vultures who eat carcasses of animals treated with diclofenac soon died of kidney failure. 
• While the manufacture of veterinary diclofenac was banned in 2006, the drug formulated for humans is still available.
• Conservation status: The white-backed vulture has been listed as ‘Critically Endangered’ on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

Vulture population in India

• Populations of three Gyps vultures in India and Nepal crashed by up to 99% during 10-15 years from the early 1990s. 
• Three affected species, the white-rumped vulture, the long-billed vulture and the slender-billed vulture are all now listed as Critically Endangered.
• The decline in India was first quantified at Keoladeo National Park, Rajasthan, by Dr Vibhu Prakash, Principal Scientist of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). 
• Between 1985-86 and 1996-97, the population of oriental white-backed vulture declined by an estimated 97% at Keoladeo, and by 2003, this colony was extinct. 

The Action Plan for Vulture Conservation 2020-2025

• The National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has cleared a plan for conserving vultures. 
• As per the plan, drugs that are used to treat cattle and known to poison vultures will be banned by the Drugs Controller General of India.
  • Diclofenac, a drug used to treat cattle, was linked to kidney failure in vultures and a decline in the bird’s population
• The ‘Action Plan for Vulture Conservation 2020-2025’ also proposes to establish Vulture Conservation Breeding Centres in Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. 
• There would also be a conservation breeding programme for the Red Headed vulture and Egyptian vulture, and at least one “Vulture Safe Zone” in every State for the conservation of the remnant populations.
• There would be four rescue centres in different geographical areas: 
  • Pinjore in north India
  • Bhopal in central India
  • Guwahati in northeast India and 
  • Hyderabad in south India, 
• The plan envisages regular surveys to track population numbers
• The plan was approved by the NBWL in its meeting on October 5