Abstract
Population of white-rumped vulture has not recovered in India to a desired level even after diclofenac was banned in 2006. During 2019, there were two known separate incidents of white-rumped vulture mortality involving four white-rumped vultures in Gujarat. After post-mortem examinations, tissues of all four vultures were received for toxicological investigation at the National Centre for Avian Ecotoxicology, SACON. Tissues were screened for a set of toxic pesticides, and none of them was at detectable level. Subsequently, the tissues were analysed for thirteen NSAIDs and paracetamol. Of all the drugs tested, only nimesulide was detected in all the tissues (17-1395 ng/g) indicative of exposure. Visceral gout was also observed in all the four vultures during post-mortem. Residues of nimesulide in tissues with symptoms of gout indicated that the vultures died due to nimesulide poisoning. Although, other than diclofenac, many NSAIDs are suspected to be toxic to white-rumped vultures, only nimesulide is reported in the recent past with clear symptom of gout in wild dead white-rumped vultures similar to diclofenac. Since, nimesulide appears to act similar to diclofenac in exerting toxic effects, if veterinary use of nimesulide continues, white-rumped vulture are bound to suffer. Hence, it is recommended that nimesulide should be banned by the government to conserve white-rumped vulture in the Indian subcontinent. Further, an effective system is recommended to be put in place to collect the tissues of dead vultures for toxicological investigations and eventual conservation of the critically endangered species.
Highlights
Catastrophic population decline in the White-rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis in India as early as 90’s was reported (Prakash et al 2007)
The role of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) apart from diclofenac have be monitored as use of NSAIDs in treating cattle has become inevitable to veterinarians
The tissues were analysed for fourteen non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), namely diclofenac, aceclofenac, ketoprofen, ibuprofen, naproxen, paracetamol, mefenamic acid, meloxicam, nimesulide, piroxicam, tolfenamic acid, indomethacin, flunixin and carprofen
Summary
Catastrophic population decline in the White-rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis in India as early as 90’s was reported (Prakash et al 2007). Catastrophic population decline of White-rumped Vulture due to use of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), diclofenac throughout its distribution range is well documented.
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