Despite a ban on the veternary diclofenac an anti-inflammatory drug for cattle,vultures are fast dying in India.According to the experts three species could be extinct in less than 10 years. The Oriental white backed vulture has lost 99.9% of its population since 1992 according to a study done by Bombay Natural History Society.
When the vultures feed on dead cattle that have been administered diclofenac they die.The number of the vultures are down to 11,000 as compared to around 30 million across northern India in early 1990s.Population of long billed and slender billed vultures has come down to 45,000 and 1,000.
The declinning number of vultures will have a dramatic impact on environment.Since they are primary scavenger,piles of uneaten carcasses will risk the contamination of water bodies.The Parsi community which leaves their dead out in the open are also alarmed.
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