Page 35 - Ex-Situ Updates - Double Edition

Safety testing by IVRI | Credit Chris Bowden/RSPB Long-billed vulture chicks |Credit Melissa Nollet

Bringing injured birds from around the country, and California Condor program in the USA as well as

chicks from the remaining wild colonies was a European experience for more closely related species.
challenge taken up by the Bombay Natural History And follow – it certainly has, with over 60 now
Society (BNHS). Dr Vibhu Prakash, who was involved fledging per year for the three species combined…

in earlier studies and monitoring has spearheaded the
l
d

h

o

b
r
s
n
e
m
t
In terms of conserving the wild birds, of course, it is
n

e
v
n

c
i

e

efforts ever since then. His data from Keoladeo I r s o f o s r i g t e w i i d , f c u s , t s

i
r
o
National Park and wider road transects have been the in-situ measures that are crucial. It was
t
c
c u i l y t m a i f r a i n t a t o u e t d t e undoubtedly the Indian Government’s (together with
o
m
d
a
n
m
o
i
crucial systematic information that documented the
t
r
c
s
n
h

e

h

c
s
e
severity of the declines. Despite some initial resistance those in Nepal and Pakistan) ban on the
to the urgency for this step, with important early manufacture, sale and all veterinary use of veterinary
support from state governments of Haryana and West Diclofenac declared in 2006, which has made the
Bengal, and from the UK’s Royal Society for the biggest impact. It has ultimately slowed, and probably
e
prevented the total extinction of these species. But
e
r
n
v
o

u
i
t

s
e
t
e

n

o
Protection of Birds (RSPB), and Darwin Initiative (UK p e e t d t e t t l x i c i n o f h s p c e . B t

h
a

t
e
s

Government grants), the first centres and founder sadly, this alone is not enough, particularly since
s

c
e
y
u
l
l
s
f
l
u
p

l
s
o
c
l
e
p

t
r
e
n
o
h

s
a
i
e
t
i
e

f
r
p
populations of all three species were successfully human formulations of Diclofenac have remained
c
s
u
e
s

e
o
w
a
established. Assam soon followed, along with other widely available, and the drug was rather cynically
state initiatives where the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) being produced by many manufacturers in
also provided vital support. inconveniently large, veterinary-sized doses for
potential illegal use. This loophole was thankfully
d
I
i
a
n
n
t
.
e
n

As the birds brought into the centres were young, and closed in 2015 by the Indian Government.

o
v

G
n
m
e
r

n
i
1
0
2

o
l
c
d
e
s
t

y

e
h
b

5
since they don’t normally breed until aged 5-6 years, it
took time before breeding took off. But thanks to the Unfortunately, further problems have emerged and
wealth of expert advice one could draw upon, notably some similar veterinary drugs have also proved to be
from UK raptor breeding expert Jemima Parry-Jones, toxic to vultures. These are unlike Meloxicam, also an
there was always great confidence that with time and NSAID/painkiller which the Indian Veterinary Research
dedication, breeding success would follow. Jemima Institute (IVRI) and BNHS had shown through

’
r

i
e
n
h

n
i
a
e
g
h
t

e
a
had designed the large ‘colony aviaries’, and the
h d d s g n d e l r e ‘ o o y a v a i s , a d t e safety-testing to be a safe and effective alternative
l

c
program also drew heavily on experience from the option. The measures needed to identify and
32