The New Indian Express ·
Awareness on vulture-safe drugs crucial to protect species: Study
COIMBATORE: A three-year study conducted by Arulagam, an NGO involved in vulture conservation in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR), between 2023 and 2026, has highlighted the need to raise awareness in the veterinary sector of the potentially harmful impact of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on vultures in the Coimbatore, Erode and Nilgiris districts. The findings also suggested that the Tamil Nadu Animal Husbandry Department should promote ethnoveterinary practices as a sustainable, cost-effective approach to reducing dependence on conventional veterinary treatments.
The study showed that the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) remains the main breeding ground for white-rumped vultures, with nine nesting sites along the riverbanks recorded. The MTR and the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) also provide vital nesting habitats for Indian vultures and solitary red-headed vultures. The presence of large mixed-species foraging and roosting congregations, accounting for up to 36.8% of individuals in STR, further indicates the landscape's high carrying capacity.
"Systematic vulture surveys were conducted between 2024 and 2026 across 46 sites in MTR and 36 sites in STR. In MTR, the highest vulture encounter rate was recorded in the Segur Range (12.1%), with the White-rumped Vulture (Gyps bengalensis) being the most frequently encountered species across the surveyed sites. In STR, Sulthanpet Camp, located in the Thalamalai Range, recorded the highest encounter rate (16.1%), indicating its significance as an important vulture congregation area," said S Bharathidasan, secretary of Arulagam.
