Ahmedabad: The forest department formed an 11-member committee on Wednesday to boost the vulture population in the state. The committee includes representatives from the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) of India and other organisations.
“Gujarat had a thriving vulture population, but during the 1990s, a sharp decline of over 90% was observed in vulture numbers across South Asia, including Gujarat. The population decline affected Gyps species like the white-rumped vulture and Indian vulture, and was primarily attributed to the widespread use of the veterinary drug diclofenac, which is toxic to vultures,” read the notification issued by the forest department.
As part of the national vulture revival plan, the Gujarat govt formed the Gujarat State Vulture Conservation Committee. The principal chief conservator of forest (Wildlife) and chief wildlife warden will chair the committee. Members include representatives from various organisations including the CZA, GEER Foundation, forest and environment department, wildlife departments of different regions, Sakkarbaugh Zoo, National Forensic Science University, Food and Drug Control Administration, animal husbandry, NGOs, and a raptor expert.
The notification indicates that the forest department partnered with GEER Foundation in 2005 to monitor vulture populations. They initially focused on species like white-rumped and Indian vultures and later included Egyptian and red-headed vultures in their studies.
A count held in Dec 2022 showed that the vulture population increased to 2,143 from 840 in 2018. This includes 1,928 resident vultures (white-rumped, Indian, red-headed, and Egyptian species), 62 migratory vultures, and 153 unidentified ones. The white-rumped vulture population decreased by 19.6%, from 352 to 283, while Indian vultures increased by 27.4%, from 285 to 363 since 2018.
