Context: 

Recently, a ‘Vulture restaurant’ has been set up in Koderma district, Jharkhand to conserve the vulture species.

Vulture Restaurant In Jharkhand

• The Vulture restaurant awaits the establishment of protocols with cow shelters and municipalities for the provision of diclofenac-free animal carcasses.
• The restaurant plans to serve scavenger birds with carcass sources from these designated places.
• Aim: To address the adverse impact of livestock drugs, particularly diclofenac, on vultures.

About Vulture Restaurant

• Vulture restaurant is an example of in-situ conservation.
• First in the World: The first such restaurant was created in South Africa in 1966.
  • Inspired by this concept, similar restaurants were created in several other countries, including Cambodia, Switzerland, Spain and Nepal.
• In India: The first such restaurant was opened in 2015 at Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary in Raigad district of Maharashtra.

About Vultures

• Sociable Creature: Vultures are often seen as a collective unit. Out of 23 species of vultures in the world, nine are found in India.

• Slow Reproduction Rate: Vultures are slow breeders so the survival of every individual is very crucial.
• Need for Conservation: Conservation of vultures is important as the bird species plays an important ecological role through its rapid consumption of animal carcasses.

Conservation Status of Vultures: WPA, CITES, and IUCN

• Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972: Vultures are protected under Schedule (1) of the WPA, 1972.
• The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): Appendix II
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN): There are nine species of vultures in India: 
  • Indian Vulture or Long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus)-Critically Endangered
  • Indian White-backed Vulture (Gyps bengalensis)-Critically Endangered
  • Red-headed Vulture (Sarcogyps calvus)- Critically Endangered
  • Slender-billed Vulture (Gyps tenuirostris)- Critically Endangered
  • Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus)- Endangered
  • Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus)- Near Threatened
  • Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus)-Near Threatened
  • Himalayan Vulture (Gyps himalayansis)-Near Threatened
  • Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus)- Least Concern

Also Refer: IUCN Red List Update At COP28

Threats to Vultures

• Hunting: Myths about the medicinal healing powers of vultures’ body parts have led to the hunting of vultures.
• Quarrying: Quarrying and blasting of stones where vultures nest have also caused their decline.
• Diclofenac’s Impact on Vultures: Vultures are exposed to the diclofenac when they consume carcasses of animals that were treated with the drug shortly before their death. 
  • The vultures die from kidney failure within days of exposure to diclofenac-contaminated tissues. 
  • Even 1% of it in the carcass would kill vultures in a short time after it feeds.
    • Diclofenac: A common anti-inflammatory drug administered to livestock for treating symptoms of inflammation and fevers.

Vultures Conservation Steps taken by the Government

• Vulture Care Centre (VCC): To study the cause of deaths of vultures in India, a VCC was set up at Pinjore, Haryana in 2001.
  • Later in 2004, the VCC was upgraded to being the first Vulture Conservation and Breeding Centres (VCBC) in India.
• Vulture Action Plan: In 2020, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of Government of India has launched a Vulture Action Plan 2020-25.
  • Aim: To step up conservation measures and set up a mechanism to ensure that toxic drugs other than diclofenac are also banned for veterinary use.
  • In 2023, other drugs like Ketoprofen and Aceclofenac were also banned.
• Safe Zone Declaration: To provide a safe habitat to vultures, the Jharkhand forest department has declared a 100-km radius from the center of Hazaribag as a safe zone. 
  • Hazaribag district is home to several rare varieties of vulture.
• Conservation Centre: In 2014, the Jharkhand Forest Department set up its lone vulture conservation and breeding center in the Muta area. 

News Source: Deccan Herald