Shrinking open spaces, painkiller used to treat cattle largely responsible.
GUWAHATI: On the occasion of International Vulture Awareness Day, environmental concerns in Assam have once again come into focus, particularly because of the sharp decline of vulture populations. Once a common sight in the region, vultures are now rarely seen in Guwahati, with only a few found in captivity at the Assam State Zoo-cum-Botanical Garden.
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The primary cause of this decline is the continued use of diclofenac, a painkiller used to treat cattle, which is fatal to vultures when they consume the flesh of livestock. Despite being banned, the drug continues to be used, putting the remaining vulture population at high risk.
Talking to GPlus, Molloy Barua, a prominent environmentalist recalled a time when vultures were a familiar sight in Guwahati. "Back in the 1970s, whenever cows had accidents on the railway tracks, you could see vultures arrive within half an hour to clean up the carcass. It was part of the natural cycle".
Barua also pointed to the loss of habitat as another reason for the birds’ disappearance. "Vultures typically live in open spaces like paddy fields, which Guwahati no longer has," he explained. Additionally, he noted that many people destroy vulture nests due to the unpleasant smell of their droppings, further reducing their chances of survival in the city.
However, vultures are still found in other parts of Assam, including Rani, Majuli, Kaziranga, and Dibru Saikhowa National Park, according to Barua. Talking to GPlus, a senior official from the Assam State Zoo confirmed that the zoo currently houses six Griffin vultures.
Additionally, on April 29, a collaborative effort between the Assam Forest Department and the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) led to the release of 15 Himalayan vultures. These birds, rescued earlier in the year, were rehabilitated at the Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre (VCBC) in Belguri before being returned to the wild.
