WHITE-RUMPED VULTURES - ENVIRONMENT
News: White-rumped
vulture faces a perilous future in Nilgris’ Sigur plateau
What's in the news?
● Despite
the protective measures, the future remains extremely perilous for the
critically endangered white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis) in the Sigur plateau in the Nilgiris, the last
southernmost viable breeding population for the species in India.
Key takeaways:
● Anthropogenic pressures,
such as cattle-grazing and poorly designed check-dams, have depleted the habitats
over the last few years.
● Due
to anthropogenic pressures, one of the three nesting sites of the species in
the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve have been abandoned by the vultures, while another
prime nesting site at Jagalikadavu has been impacted severely by the check-dams
along the Sigurhalla river that have restricted water flow, killing off many
Terminalia arjuna trees where the vulture nest.
● Environmentalists
said that the species could be wiped out from the region in the next decade
unless serious protective measures were taken.
White-rumped Vultures:
● It
is a medium-sized Old World vulture.
● It
is also known as Indian White-backed
Vulture or Oriental White-backed Vulture.
Distribution:
● Pakistan,
India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia,
and southern Vietnam.
Habitat:
● Found
mostly in plains and less frequently in
hilly regions.
● It
can also be seen in villages and cities near to cultivation.
Population:
● In
the 1980s, the global population was estimated at several million individuals,
and it was thought to be "the most
abundant large bird of prey in the world".
● As
of 2021, the global population was estimated at less than 6,000 mature
individuals.
Features:
● It
is a typical, medium-sized vulture, with an unfeathered head and neck, very
broad wings, and short tail feathers.
Conservation Status:
● IUCN
- Critically Endangered
● Wildlife
Protection Act 1972 - Schedule I
Vultures:
● India
has nine species of vultures in the
wild.
Threats:
● Poisoning
from diclofenac that is used as a
medicine for livestock.
● Loss
of Natural Habitats due to anthropogenic activities.
● Food
Dearth and Contaminated Food.
● Electrocution
by Power lines.
Conservation Efforts:
National level:
● The
Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) launched a Vulture Action Plan 2020-25 for the
conservation of vultures in the country.
● To
study the cause of deaths of vultures in India, a Vulture Care Centre (VCC) was
set up at Pinjore, Haryana in 2001.
● Later
in 2004, the VCC was upgraded to being the first Vulture Conservation and
Breeding Centre (VCBC) in India.
● At
present, there are nine Vulture
Conservation and Breeding Centers (VCBC) in India, of which three are
directly administered by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS).
International:
SAVE (Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction):
● The
consortium of like-minded, regional and international organizations, created to
oversee and coordinate conservation, campaigning and fundraising activities to
help the plight of south Asia’s vultures.
● Objective: To
save three critically important species from extinction through a single
programme.