Chennai, Oct 20 (FN Agency) The Tamil Nadu Government has constituted a 10-member State Level Committee to take comprehensive measures for Vulture Conservation in the State and prevent its extinction. There is a need to prioritize conservation of vultures to prevent the extinction of these iconic birds. A Government Order issued by the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Forests said Vultures play an extremely important role as nature’s scavengers thereby keeping the environment clean. Stating that their social and ecological significance cannot be underestimated, it said over a period of time, the population of vulures has come down so drastically that they are now identified as critically endangered.
“In order to conserve vultures, a comprehensive action is needed encompassing the need for periodic monitoring of the vulture population, controlling use of several veterinary drugs which are txic to vultures and promoting vulture conservation breeding programmes, etc.,”, the GO said. Nine species of vultures are recorded from India. They were Oriental White-backed Vulture, Long-billed Vulture, Slender-billed Vulture, Himalayan Vulture, Eurasian Griffon, Red-headed Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Bearded Vulture and Cinereous Vulture. In four species of vultures viz. oriental white-backed vulture, long-billed vulture, red-headed vulture and Egyptian Vulture are found in Tamil Nadu.