Context:
Vulture Restaurants have been set up to conserve the species in Jharkhand.
About Vulture Restaurant:
- Non disturbed area where non-toxic, poison-free meat and carcasses are served to vultures and scavenger species.
- Established to conserve the critically endangered species
- Other Restaurants – Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh.
- Diclofenac – Non-steroidal Anti Inflammatory drugs – harmful for vultures and birds
About Vultures:
- Large carrion eating birds
- Vital role as nature’s garbage collectors and environmental cleaners
- Found in Tropical and subtropical regions.
- Important for controlling wildlife diseases.
- India hosts 9 vulture species: Oriental white-backed, Long-billed, Slender-billed, Red-headed, Egyptian, Bearded, Cinereous, Eurasian Griffon, Himalayan
- Migratory species – Cinereous, Eurasian Griffon, Himalayan
- Conservation Status – Schedule I of WPA 1972
- Threats – Loss of natural habitats due to human activities, Scarcity of food, Population decline due to exposure to drug diclofenac, Electrocution by power lines etc.
- Conservation Initiatives
- Vulture Conservation Initiatives Ban on Veterinary use of Diclofenac (2006),
- Vulture Conservation Initiatives Ban on Veterinary use of Ketoprofen and Aceclofenac (2023).
- Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre, Haryana
- Action Plan for Vulture Conservation in India 2020-25.
Source: Deccan Herald
Previous Year Question
Vultures which used to be very common in Indian countryside some years ago are rarely seen nowadays. This is attributed to
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2020 Prelims]
(a) the destruction of their nesting sites by new invasive species.
(b) a drug used by cattle owners for treating their diseased cattle.
(c) scarcity of food available to them.
(d) a widespread, persistent and fatal disease among them .
Answer: (b)
