Vultures face extinction in Indian subcontinent: UN report

The endangered vultures are on the brink of extinction in Indian continent, a UN report on biodiversity today said regretting that a veterinary drug responsible for their deaths continue to be available in the market despite a ban.
The vulture population has, in fact, witnessed one of the "most dramatic declines" of a wild species in human history, it said.
"Once present in numbers ranging over tens of millions across India, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh, vultures today are on the brink of extinction," the United Nations progress report on the state of global biodiversity said.
Across Indian continent, the population of three formerly common species of vultures -- Oriental White Backed vulture, Long-billed Vulture and Slender-billed Vulture-- have declined "precipitously".

Indian government had approved the use of an alternative vulture-safe drug in 2006 as it put a ban on a commonly-used drug used for treating domestic livestock that is highly toxic to vultures, causing death due to kidney failures.
"Despite this, there is mounting evidence that the drug continues to be available and used for veterinary purpose, resulting in continuation of vulture deaths and losses in valuable ecosystem in the region," the report said.

The report, however, hailed India's move to encourage balanced fertiliser use so as to maintain soil biodiversity and to sustain and increase the rate of agriculture productivity.

"A recent reform of fertilizer pricing has been brought into effect to liberalise the prices of potassium and while increasing the prices of urea by 10 per cent.
"This is to encourage use of potassium, phosphorous and micro-nutrient-based fertiliser while reducing the use of urea which has more damaging effects on the environment", the report said.