Vulture comeback hailed as ‘one of biggest conservation wins of our time’

London: South Asia’s vultures have staged a remarkable recovery 20 years after a deadly livestock drug nearly wiped them out.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds called it “one of the biggest conservation success stories of our time”.

At the turn of the century, vulture numbers crashed across India, Nepal and Pakistan. The white-rumped vulture was hit hardest, declining 99.9% across northern India. Scientists later traced the collapse to diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory drug given to cattle that causes fatal kidney failure in vultures feeding on carcasses.

India, Nepal and Pakistan banned veterinary diclofenac. Though illegal manufacturing continues in some areas, the bans triggered a rebound. Captive breeding and release programmes helped numbers rise further.“Twenty years on from those historic drug bans, the future for Asia’s vultures looks a lot brighter,” the RSPB said. “This was a monumental step in safeguarding the future of vultures in south Asia, and one that undoubtedly prevented their extinction.”