the goan I network
CANACONA
Stating that 99.9% of the vultures in the country have gone extinct over the years, Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) Deputy Director Vibhu Prakash said the Vultures Conservation Action Plan 2009 has started to show positive with an increase of vultures at some vulture conservation sites.
Prakash was delivering a keynote address at the inaugural function of the 2nd Birds Festival of Goa-2018 which began at Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary on Friday.
About 50 national and international delegates as well as college and school students are attending the two-day 2nd Birds Festival Goa 2018.
According to Prakash, there were 14 million vultures in 1918, but over the years 99.9% of its population has gone extinct.
"This is a major catastrophe of natural environment cleaning activities. The major concern of vultures going extinct is due to their deaths by renal/kidney failures
and the main cause of kidney failures of vultures is by a drug, Diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory drug used by farmers to ease pain in cattle.
Prakash explained how the Vulture Conservation Action Plan-2009 was put into practice, putting its thrust on desisting usage of Diclofenac in treatment of cattle.
"Eight centres have been established to conserve and study behaviour of vultures. Pinjar in Haryana has till date released 606 vultures into nature."
Later, Pratap Singh, IFS, conducted a session on ‘Reading of birds calls', Sharad Apte held another session on ‘Birds calls and songs' and Karthikeyan on ‘Organising nature camps JLR experience'.
During the festival, bird walks in the Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary with experienced birders were conducted, while in the evening, a film show on birds/environment was telecast.
