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Indian White-backed vultures bred
in captivity
In Haryana, India, scientists
manage to breed the rare breed of
vulture.
BY OUR CORRESPONDENT
January 10, 2007
In a big boost to conservation
efforts, scientists have successfully
bred the white-backed vulture in
captivity at Haryana, India. The
species is on the verge of extinction.
According to sources, the first of
these vultures has been successfully
bred at the Vulture Conservation
Breeding Centre of the Bombay Natural
History Society (BNHS) and the Forest
Department of Haryana at Pinjore. The
eggs were laid in November 2006 and
hatched in about 54 days at the
Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre.
The Vulture Conservation Breeding
Centre, however is wary about the
effect of Diclofenac and believes that
they need to implement the ban on the
killer drug to assure a better future
to the newborn vulture. The killer
drug Diclofenac has to be wiped off
before the release of the vultures, it
has been found out.
The near extinction of the vultures
have confounded scientists. It was
then found out that the commonly used
non-steroid anti-inflammatory
veterinary drug used as a painkiller
for livestock was the culprit. If an
animal died during the treatment of
this painkiller and vultures fed on
its carcass, the drug entered the
vulture's body, gradually causing
kidney failure, said research reports.
Now efforts are on to take the drug
out of the system. Till then the
vultures will not be released in the
wild.
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