Maarg Manthan · Topic 8.5

Vulture Conservation Project

Environment & Ecology › Protected Area Network and Species-Based Conservation Programmes · Topic 8.5

Vultures are scavenging birds that clean the environment by eating dead animals and prevent the spread of disease. India has nine species: the Oriental white-backed (white-rumped) vulture, long-billed vulture, slender-billed vulture, Egyptian vulture, red-headed vulture, Himalayan griffon, Eurasian griffon, cinereous vulture and bearded vulture (lammergeier). Three Gyps species, the white-rumped, long-billed and slender-billed, collapsed by more than 95 percent in the 1990s after feeding on carcasses of cattle treated with the veterinary painkiller diclofenac, which causes kidney failure in the birds. India banned veterinary use of diclofenac in 2006, launched the Vulture Conservation Project with the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and set up breeding centres at Pinjore in Haryana, Rajabhatkhawa in West Bengal and Guwahati in Assam. A national Vulture Action Plan 2020-2025 and the creation of Vulture Safe Zones continue the work.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Environment & Ecology · Protected Area Network and Species-Based Conservation Programmes

At a Glance

Species in India Nine
Cause of crash Diclofenac
Ban 2006
Breeding centres Pinjore, Rajabhatkhawa, Guwahati
Plan Vulture Action Plan 2020-25
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Environment & Ecology: Protected Area Network and Species-Based Conservation Programmes

Where Does It Fit?

This topic follows Project Snow Leopard. It is a species programme driven by a pollution cause rather than hunting, and it links wildlife to veterinary drug regulation. Previous topic: Project Snow Leopard. Next topic: Crocodile Conservation Project.

Why Did Vultures Collapse and What Was Done?

Aspect	Details
Cause	Diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used for livestock. Vultures eating treated carcasses died of visceral gout and kidney failure; a tiny dose is enough to kill
Decline	More than 95 percent of the three Gyps species disappeared in the 1990s; white-rumped vulture fell by about 99 percent
Discovery	Linked to diclofenac in 2004 by Lindsay Oaks and colleagues in Pakistan
Ban	India, Nepal and Pakistan banned veterinary diclofenac in 2006; vials were restricted to a single dose size in 2015 for human use
Safer drug	Meloxicam was found safe for vultures. Other harmful drugs include ketoprofen, aceclofenac and nimesulide, which have been restricted
Breeding centres	BNHS-run Vulture Conservation Breeding Centres at Pinjore (Haryana, 2001), Rajabhatkhawa (West Bengal) and Guwahati (Assam); also Bhopal
Vulture Safe Zones	Areas free of toxic drugs, where vulture populations are monitored; several zones have been identified

What Do the Action Plan and Status Show?

Action Plan 2006: first plan, after the diclofenac ban
Vulture Action Plan 2020-25: bans harmful drugs, sets up more breeding centres and safe zones, tests drugs before sale, and promotes awareness
IUCN status: white-rumped, slender-billed and Indian (long-billed) vultures are Critically Endangered
Egyptian vulture: Endangered
Red-headed vulture: Critically Endangered
Recovery: numbers appear to have stabilised after the ban, though still very low; check the latest survey
Release: captive-bred birds are being released once the area is safe
Other threats: loss of nesting trees, electrocution, wind turbines, and poisoning by pesticides and poachers

What Else Should You Remember?

Ecological role: eat carcasses quickly, preventing anthrax and rabies spread
Stomach acid: highly acidic, destroys bacteria
Cultural role: Parsis use Towers of Silence where vultures consume bodies; decline caused problems
Vulture and rabies: fewer vultures led to more feral dogs and rabies cases
Himalayan griffon: migrant in winter
Lammergeier: bone-breaker
Cinereous vulture: large winter visitor
Egyptian vulture: small white vulture, tool user
Gyps genus: Old World griffon vultures
Slow breeders: one egg a year, making recovery slow
BNHS: Mumbai-based society, the main partner
Haryana Pinjore: the largest breeding centre
Jatayu: vulture conservation centres in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh named after the epic bird
Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre: Pinjore is called this
Drug regulator: Drugs Controller General of India
Toxic drugs test: must be tested for vulture safety before approval
Vultures in Africa: also crashing due to poisoning and traditional medicine trade
Convention on Migratory Species: vulture multi-species action plan
Kerala vultures: Wayanad-Nilgiri region has the last south Indian population
Link to previous: see Project Snow Leopard
Link to next: see Crocodile Conservation Project
Link to pollution: see Air, Marine, Noise and Other Pollution macro for toxic chemicals
Caution: percentage declines differ slightly across studies; quote them as more than 95 percent
Exam hint: remember the cause, the year of ban, centres and the three critically endangered Gyps species
Visceral gout: uric acid crystals deposit on internal organs after kidney failure, killing the bird within days
Slender-billed vulture: the rarest of the three Gyps vultures in India, with a very small population mainly in Assam and the north-east
Long-billed vulture: the Indian vulture, found on the Deccan plateau and in central India
Red-headed vulture: also called the king vulture, solitary and now rare
Pesticide and poison baiting: poisoned carcasses set for predators kill vultures too, and several mass deaths have occurred in India and Africa
Monitoring: road transect counts in 2000s, 2007, 2015 and later surveys track trends; check the latest
Veterinary pharmacies: awareness drives tell pharmacists and vets to use safe drugs
Community role: villages supply safe carcasses at vulture restaurants, a feeding-site model tried in Nepal and India
Toxic drug tested: India now requires safety testing for NSAIDs that may be used on livestock

Why Does It Matter for the Exam?

Cause: diclofenac
Ban: 2006
Centres: Pinjore
Current affairs link: Vulture Action Plan and safe zones
Common errors: blaming DDT or hunting, or naming wrong centre state

As an analytical point, the vulture crash shows that a medicine can harm wildlife through the food chain. Regulating veterinary drugs and keeping poison-free feeding sites are low-cost steps with high ecological and public health returns.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Cause Veterinary drug
Fix Ban, breed
Value Clean-up service

What Came Next?

The next topic covers the Crocodile Conservation Project. Next topic: Crocodile Conservation Project.

Key People and Terms

Diclofenac Toxic veterinary drug
Gyps Griffon vulture genus
Visceral gout Uric acid buildup
Vulture Safe Zone Poison-free area
BNHS Bombay Natural History Society
Scavenger Carrion eater

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

Cause: diclofenac.
Ban in 2006.
Breeding at Pinjore.
Nine vulture species in India.
Plan: 2020-25.

Do Not Confuse With

Diclofenac and meloxicam Toxic versus safe drug
Vulture Safe Zone and sanctuary Poison-free area versus legal reserve
Gyps vultures and lammergeier Griffon vultures versus bone-eating vulture

Memory Hook

Diclofenac kills, meloxicam is kind; ban in 2006, breed in Pinjore.

Mains Angle

Questions ask for cause, measures and centres. These points help.

Cause Drug
Measures Ban, breed
Lesson Regulation

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“Explain the causes of the decline of vultures in India and the measures taken to conserve them.”

How to Answer

Cause Drug.
Impact Disease.
Measures Ban, breed.
Lesson Regulate.

GS Relevance

Prelims: species, cause of decline, ban, breeding centres, safe zones. GS Paper 3: wildlife and pollution.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did vultures decline in India?

Vultures declined by more than 95 percent in the 1990s because they fed on carcasses of cattle treated with the anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac. The drug causes kidney failure and visceral gout in vultures, and even a small amount in a carcass is fatal. Habitat loss and other drugs also contribute.

When was the veterinary use of diclofenac banned in India?

India banned the manufacture and use of diclofenac for veterinary purposes in 2006, as did Nepal and Pakistan. Later steps restricted the size of human-use vials so that they would not be misused for animals, and other toxic drugs like ketoprofen and aceclofenac have been restricted too.

Where are vulture breeding centres in India?

The Bombay Natural History Society runs vulture conservation breeding centres at Pinjore in Haryana, Rajabhatkhawa in West Bengal and Guwahati in Assam, with other centres such as one at Bhopal. They keep captive populations of the white-rumped, long-billed and slender-billed vultures for later release.

What is a Vulture Safe Zone?

A Vulture Safe Zone is an area where vultures are protected from harmful veterinary drugs and other threats by ensuring that livestock carcasses are free of toxic substances, and where their population is monitored. Several such zones have been identified across India to allow safe release of captive-bred birds.

Why are vultures important to ecosystems?

Vultures quickly consume dead animals, removing sources of infection and preventing the spread of diseases such as anthrax and rabies. Their strong stomach acid destroys bacteria, so they act as nature's sanitation service. Their decline in India led to more feral dogs and greater health risks.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 Diclofenac caused the decline of vultures in India.

True

Through carcasses.

2 The veterinary use of diclofenac was banned in 1996.

False

In 2006.

3 Pinjore has a vulture breeding centre.