Save the Vultures

Vulture's play a very important role in the Ecosystem.They are the Scavengers capable of rapidly consuming carcasses and preventing pollution. Not only that, they have been used by many societies in Nepal and Tibet for Crematory purposes also known as "Sky Burial" . But in recent years with Vultures exposed to a certain drug called "Diclofenac" , there has been huge decline in Vulture population. Vultures that consume sufficient tissue from treated carcasses die from the effects of diclofenac-induced kidney failure. Diclofenac has been banned since June of 2006 by the Nepal Government. Instead of Diclofenac, Meloxicam has been incouraged to use.  Nepal to conserve and consolidate the conservation initiatives for all vulture species found in Nepal.Vulture Conservation Action Plan for Nepal (2009-2013) is a part of the greater effort of the Government of Nepal.


"Within Nepal, India and Pakistan vulture populations have undergone dramatic declines in
numbers since the mid 1990s, with declines in excess of 97% for three resident species
(white-rumped, slender-billed and long-billed vulture Gyps indicus now confined in India).
In India, numbers of white-rumped vultures have declined by 99.9% from 1992 to 2007
(Prakash et al. 2007). Monitoring of vultures in Nepal indicates declines of a similar
magnitude with a >90% decrease in numbers up to 2001 (Baral et al. 2004). As a
consequence, these three Gyps vulture species were listed by IUCN, the World Conservation
Union, in 2000 as Critically Endangered (IUCN 2007)."


Vulture restaurants has been established in various part of the Country to provide the Vultures with Diclofenac free carcasses. Which is a very good initiative to for the conservation of Vultures.

Six resident vulture species (white-rumped vulture Gyps
bengalensis, slender-billed vulture Gyps tenuirostris, Egyptian vulture Neophron
percnopterus, red-headed vulture Sarcogyps calvus, Himalayan griffon vulture Gyps
himalayensis, and Lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus) are found in Nepal along with one winter visitor (Cinereous vulture
Aegypius monachus) and one passage migrant (Eurasian griffon vulture Gyps fulvus).

                                                   Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus), (EN)

                                                     
                                                         Himalayan griffon (yps himalayensis) 

                                                         Lammergeier (Gypaetus barabatus)

                                                   Red-headed vulture (Sarcogyps calvus), (CR)

                                                  Slender-billed vulture (Gyps-tenuirostris), (CR)

                                                     White rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis)

                                                   Eurasian griffon (Gyps fulvus)

                                                      Cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus)