First scavenger vulture bred in captivity

Mumbai: Almost on the verge of extinction, the white-backed vulture, one of the species found in India, has been successfully bred in captivity for the first time in Pinjore, Haryana.

"The first of these vultures has been successfully bred at the Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and the Forest Department of Haryana at Pinjore," said Dr Vibhu Prakash, Principal Scientist and Head of the Vulture Conservation Breeding Programme (VCBP) in India. "This is a precious New Year gift from nature to the vulture conservation efforts," he said and further informed that in the wild, the incubation period was about 55 days. The eggs were laid in November 2006 and hatched in about 54 days at the Centre.

Dr Asad Rahmani, Director, BNHS, said this success was achieved two years before the set target of 2008.

"However, we will have to be quick in effectively implementing the ban on the killer drug Diclofenac to assure a better future to this newborn vulture." He added that the VCBP was the only hope for the vultures and the Centre was now aiming at releasing 100 pairs of the three critically endangered vulture species to repopulate the wild population. "The killer drug Diclofenac has to be wiped off before the release of the vultures."

The gradual disappearance of the vultures, nature's most efficient scavengers, confounded birdlife scientists for several years and in May 2003 the cause was finally zeroed in on the commonly used non-steroid anti-inflammatory veterinary drug used as a painkiller for livestock. If an animal died during the treatment of this painkiller and vultures fed on its carcass, the drug entered the vulture's body, gradually causing kidney failure.

"Unless the drug is out of the system, the vultures cannot be released in the wild," said Rahmani who urged citizens to cooperate in protecting vultures.

Nine species of vultures are recorded from Indian subcontinent.