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When Vultures Die, We Die

  • August 20, 2024
  • Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
  • Category: DPN Topics
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When Vultures Die, We Die

Sub: Env

Sec: Species in news

Context:

  • From 2000-2005,India saw approximately 500,000 deaths and an annual economic loss of Rs 58,110 crore ($69.4 billion) due to the loss of vultures.
  • The study “The Social Costs of Keystone Species Collapse” highlights the devastating effects of the functional extinction of vultures in India.

The Role of Vultures as a Keystone Species:

  • Vultures are critical to the Indian ecosystem, serving as scavengers that prevent the spread of diseases by consuming carcasses.
  • India once had 40 million vultures, but the introduction of diclofenac, a veterinary drug, led to their drastic decline, especially affecting four species now listed as “Critically Endangered.”
    • Nine of the world’s 23 species of vultures exist in India; five of them belong to the genus Gyps and the rest are monotypic (that is, a genus that contains only one species).

Consequences of Vulture Decline:

  • The absence of vultures led to a significant increase in carcasses, resulting in the proliferation of dogs and rats, leading to more rabies cases and other diseases.
  • India accounts for 36% of global rabies deaths, a rise linked to the vulture population’s collapse.
  • The study found an annual increase of 104,386 deaths due to the decline of vultures in areas suitable for their habitats.
  • The estimated economic damage due to increased mortality is $69.4 billion annually.

Challenges in Vulture Conservation:

  • Despite a ban on diclofenac in 2006, enforcement is weak, and toxic Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like nimesulide and flunixin are still in use.
  • Vulture breeding programs exist but are challenged by the continued presence of toxic drugs and the introduction of new ones.

Steps Toward Vulture Conservation:

  • SAVE (Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction): The consortium of like-minded, regional and international organizations, created to oversee and co-ordinate conservation, campaigning, and fundraising activities to help the plight of South Asia’s vultures.
  • The Action Plan for Vulture Conservation in India (2020-2025) aims to eliminate diclofenac and monitor vulture sites, but the success depends on strict enforcement.
  • Experts emphasize the need for pre-licensing drug testing to prevent future collapses of keystone species like vultures.
Environment We Die When Vultures Die

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