200 vultures sighted near China border

CHANDIGARH: At a time when the vulture population has all but disappeared -- 99% of India's four crore vultures have died in the last three
decades -- the sighting of around 200 bearded variety of the species in Lahaul-Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, comes as a ray of hope for wildlife enthusiasts.

Around 200 of these vultures are spread around the rocky mountains of cold desert area that includes some parts of China.

Indian vultures have all but vanished because of feeding on dead livestock that were administered an anti-inflammatory drug called diclofenac that increased the working life of cattle by reducing their joint pain.

According to scientists, the Lammergeiers or bearded vultures, breed in crags in high mountains, laying one or two eggs in mid-winter that hatch at the beginning of spring. The population is resident. In Himachal Pradesh, their population is found in the Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur districts bordering China.

State chief conservator of forests (wildlife) Sanjeeva Pandey said there is a larger presence of bearded vultures in higher areas because people here do not give diclofenac to their cattle. The bearded vulture helps in keeping the environment clean, he added.

Forest officials from Lahaul-Spiti said that higher reaches of Rohtang and Kunzam passes have become home to bearded vultures, while vultures from China are found in Lidong, Demul, Koumik, Kibber and Hikkim of Spiti valley.

The spotting of bearded vultures in such large number has raised visions of saving the majestic bird at least in Himachal Pradesh that saw the tragic disappearance of White Back vulture and King vulture from the lower parts of the state.

Scientists at G B Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Mohali, said the presence of vulture colony in the Western Himalayas is very encouraging. ``A proper survey should be conducted to make plans for their breeding and conservation,'' he said.

Pandey said that during a recent visit to Kibber village in Spiti, he came across a small colony of bearded vultures.

``While the dwindling vulture population in lower parts of Himachal is a cause of concern, their presence in Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti gives us hope,'' he said.

The state wildlife department is planning to start a conservation and breeding programme with the help of Bombay Natural History Society for breeding vultures in lower Himachal Pradesh.


The full article can be found at http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...ow/5066367.cms

In South Africa they call these as Bearded vultures. We call it as lammergeir.

They have been there all along in the Himalayas. They are not impacted by the diclofenac poisoning as they feed on the bone marrow. They drop the bone from a height on a stone and once the bone is crushed they feed on the bone marrow.

Recently, we notice a trend of some of these forest officials trying to come in news by rehashing old data or creating stories such as these.

Sabyasachi

Same views as Sabyasachi... I agree lammergeiers as a species were never affected by diclofenac poisoning, as they feed on bone marrow.
I also don't know why they seem to be referring to healthy populations of the lammergeier as a possible revival of vulture populations in general. The white backed and king vultures have disappeared. The lammergeier is a very different species from them and can't (and shouldn't) be considered similar to them in this respect.