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Background
Tens of millions of vultures used to be present across India, Pakistan and Nepal. Since the early 1990s three vulture species have undergone catastrophic declines. Populations have decreased by at least 97% in India over the last 12 years and 92% in five years in Pakistan. Vulture numbers continue to decline at around 40% a year, placing these three critically endangered species on the brink of extinction.
Extensive research has identified the cause of the declines to be diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory drug routinely administered to livestock in Asia. Vultures are exposed to the drug when they consume carcasses of animals that were treated with diclofenac a few days before death. Diclofenac is highly toxic to vultures, causing them to die of kidney failure.
The potential loss of these vulture species has profound ecological and social consequences in Asia. Vultures play a vital ecosystem service by rapidly disposing of carcasses that would otherwise pose a risk of disease. With the decline of vultures there has been a dramatic increase in feral dog numbers, which pose a real risk to human health and safety.
Vulture Rescue aims to halt the vulture declines and to minimise the ecological and social costs of the decline in the three species. Through an active program of conservation research, captive breeding and advocacy Vulture Rescue is working to ensure the survival of vultures in Asia.
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