Nepal’s vulture monitoring faces challenges

Fifteen years ago, there were an estimated 500,000 vultures in Nepal. However, vulture populations have declined by 90%, reports the Republica (February 25, 2013). Of the eight species of vultures found in Nepal, four have been listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as critically endangered birds.

Bird Conservation Nepal (BCN) has been carrying out efforts to track white-rumped vultures (Gyps bengalensis) which are believed to be the most endangered species. The tracking is supported by the Nepali Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) and the United Kingdom Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Five vultures fitted with satellite transmitters, released by BCN 23 months ago from Rupandehi and Nawalparasi districts have been confirmed dead. Two years ago in 2011, BCN released juvenile white-rumped vultures. The BCN recovered the tag of one vulture six months ago and determined that it had not crossed the Indian border. The BCN is unsure when, where, and how the vultures met their death. The solar-powered transmitters stopped sending signals soon after the juvenile vultures were released. It is suspected that the vultures died of diclofenac-induced kidney failure after eating the carcasses of dead animals infested with the drug (used as a veterinary non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug for cattle). However, this cannot be confirmed.

In 2007, BCN released five white-rumped vultures which died after a few months. They were tracked as far as Gujarat and Sikkim in India using battery fitted transmitters. The batteries work for two years.

The satellite tracking is costly because the BCN needs to buy the satellite space for a few years for long term tracking and monitoring of the vultures.

White-rumped vultures are the smallest of the Gyps vultures, weighing about 4.75 kilograms (10.5 pounds). They usually live for 50 years and are found in Nepal, India, Pakistan and southeast Asia.

Photo: Birdlife International (www.birdlife.org)

Comments

2016 update on Rike Park, Tbilisi: from construction to busy park

From a flat patch of uninteresting dirt, Rike Park in Tbilisi, Georgia, has transformed in four years (from 2014-2016) into a busy park full of trees, flower beds, sculptures, fountains, and events. Rike (Rikhe) Park is on the left bank of the Mt’k’vari River (the Kura River) near the Old City of Tbilisi. The Peace Bridge links the right bank to Rike Park. Rike Park is below the hillside Presidential Palace and, via cable car, it is the starting point for the ride to Sololaki Ridge (with the Narikala Fortress and the Mother of Georgia statue). The glass box-shaped cable car terminus was opened on 23 June 2012, and since then the park has continually developed into a ‘people’s park’ where people can walk around, eat at the nearby restaurants, sit next to the statue of American president Ronald Reagan, climb the steps to Avlabari district, and access the sights of Meidan Square, the Peace Bridge, the Metekhi Church, the Old City, the waterfall, the sulphur baths, and t...

The acacia thorn trees of Kenya

There are nearly 800 species of acacia trees in the world, and most don’t have thorns. The famous "whistling thorn tree" and the Umbrella Thorn tree of Kenya are species of acacia that do have thorns, or spines. Giraffes and other herbivores normally eat thorny acacia foliage, but leave the whistling thorn alone. Usually spines are no deterrent to giraffes. Their long tongues are adapted to strip the leaves from the branches despite the thorns. The thorny acacia like dry and hot conditions. The thorns typically occur in pairs and are 5-8 centimetres (2-3 inches) long. Spines can be straight or curved depending on the species. MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Suda...

Hop on hop off bus tourism comes to Tbilisi, Georgia

City Sightseeing buses have arrived in Tbilisi. The iconic red double-decker buses, a feature of many cities around the world since the company was established in Seville, Spain in 1999, is now in six continents and almost 100 cities. The company established its Tbilisi business in November 2013, with its operations commencing in February 2014. The 90-minute tour stops at 11 major locations in Tbilisi (with 2 to 5 minute waiting times at each location): the Old City (where it commences), Freedom Square, Rose Revolution Square, Marjanishvili Square, the Dry Bridge, Konka, Avlabari, Metekhi, Akhundov Museum, the Sulfur Baths, and European Square. Passengers can hop off at any stop and see the sights, hopping back onto the next bus at any time. Alternatively, passengers can remain on the bus for the whole tour and take photographs when the bus stops at each location. There are one day (24-hour) passes (for 35 lari – about $20) and 48-hour passes for 55 lari, with family d...

FEAST OR FAMINE

Search This Blog