Vultures in Gidh Karai, Jhalawar, Rajasthan, India: Threats, Recommendations and Conservation Measures

Abstract

Vultures used to dominate the environment as the most frequent scavengers prior to the 1980s, but their numbers catastrophically dropped to >95%. A veterinary NSAID named Diclofenac, which was nephrotoxic to birds and caused renal failure and avian gout, was employed in this situation. Diclofenac was outlawed in 2006 by the governments of India, Pakistan, and Nepal in an effort to preserve the declining vulture population. The development of non-toxic meloxicam as a substitute for diclofenac has led to the stabilisation of Gyps vulture populations in various regions of Southern Asia. There are nine different species of vultures in India (both resident and migratory), three of which are categorised as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and are thus given the strictest legal protection under Schedule-I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act. However, Rajasthan is home to seven different vulture species. The study area, i.e., Gidh Karai, located in the Jhalawar district of Rajasthan (India), is an ideal location for breeding and roosting Indian and Egyptian vultures. And this study briefly highlights the underlying threats, recommendations and conservation measures that need to be implemented for the protection of these vultures. It is also a sincere effort to draw attention towards the crisis of vultures and the overall need for conservation.