Though Diclofenac medicine, used as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) in cattle (and humans also) is taking toll on the vulture poplution cross the country, Hazaribagh district witnessed a different scene.
Efforts of a team of scientists in coordination with the forest department, which has been working for the conservation of vultures by convincing the veterinary doctors to use Meloxicam drug, bear fruits. Meloxicam drug does not affect the health of vultures.
Vultures basically depend flesh of dead cattle which were given diclofenac in the last days of life. Diclofenac causes Visceral gout (a disease of birds in which kidney failure causes a build-up of urates in the internal organs, leaving a chalky white coating on them) thereby leading to their death.
Conservationist Satya Prakash associated in this team comprising Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) members said, “There are around 300 vultures existing in this district of which 250 belong to Gyps bengalensis (white-backed Bengal vulture) species and 50 from Gyps indicus (long-billed vulture) species. Infact, they are nesting and breeding within 35 kilometre (km) radius of this district. Also, we are promoting no use of Diclofenac drug among cattle within 100 km radius outside Hazaribagh covering districts like Ranchi, Bokaro, Dhanbad and Chatra.
As a response, the vulture population is stable and rather increasing to some extent.”“Ever since we have started our campaign to promote this awareness in 2009, Hazaribagh is becoming safe zone for vultures to some extent,” Satya Prakash added.Notably, scientific research shows that this district is the only area in Jharkhand where vultures listed as ‘critically endangered’ are found.
Besides Satya Prakash, Ranchi District Forest Officer Kamlesh Pandey and Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park Doctor Ajay Kumar also objected the use of Diclofenac among cattle for saving the life of vultures.
A research journal published in Jan-March 2013 named ‘Status of Vultures in Jharkhand with special reference to Hazaribagh’ mentions that State Forests and Environment Department, has taken a much needed step for the first time in India to distribute Meloxicam free of cost and promote its use by veterinarians to stop the veterinary use of Diclofenac in order to make the region free of this NSAID. About 9,000 vials have been purchased last year for free distribution to veterinarians, paravets, and untrained vets by the Forest Department.
Taking a swift action over breeding of these vultures in the future from the State Government’s side, a source informed that the Department of State Forests and Environment is pursuing to take technical support of BNHS for beginning vulture breeding at the state’s single captive breeding centre at Muta, some 20 km from Ranchi built in September last year at cost of `41 lakh to boost the population of vultures. Unfortunately due to this hurdle, the centre has failed to begin functioning.
Adding more about Government’s support, Satya Prakash said that Deputy Commissioner of Dhanbad has made it mandatory for the chemists falling under the Provisional Vulture Safe Zone (covering Hazaribagh, Ramgarh, Koderma, Giridih, Chatra, Palamau, latehar, Bokaro, and Dhanbad) not to sell Diclofenac to a cattle owner without any prescription. “legally Diclofenac is banned but there are many untrained veterinary specialists who encourage the use of cattle in our state,” he maintained.