Badasahi: The population of vultures that were found in large numbers in Badasahi and other parts of Mayurbhanj district has witnessed a drastic decline over the years, triggering concern among ecologists.
The scavenging birds are on the verge of extinction due to a host of factors including deforestation, rapid urbanisation and excessive use of pesticides and other chemicals in agriculture, according to environmentalists.
Earlier, whenever carcasses of domestic or stray animals were left on the outskirts of villages, vultures would feed on them in a few days and play the role of natural scavengers, some villagers said.
“Things have changed these days. Carcasses decompose for days together, but hardly a vulture is seen feeding on them,” the villagers said expressing concern about the ecological impact of this scenario.
About two decades ago, vultures in large numbers were seen taking shelter on big trees in villages, local environmentalists said, adding that sighting of vultures is rare these days in the absence of such trees.
“Big trees have been chopped off to make space for roads, buildings and other infrastructure in rural areas. How can they (vultures) find the right place to make nests? Adverse climatic conditions, degradation of forests, environment pollution and diseases are among the major factors responsible for fast extinction of the birds,” they explained.
A lecture of Biology Dr Jiban Kumar Pandit said, “Pesticides are used extensively in agriculture land. Toxic elements of the pesticides get into the food of domestic animals. When animals die, vultures and other birds of prey feed on the carcasses. As the toxic elements reach vultures, their toxicity grows by 10 times through biomagnifications, adversely affecting the birds.”
“Veterinary surgeons administer diclofenac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, to domestic animals in case of certain diseases. Livers of vultures get affected by diclofaenac when they feed on the decomposed flesh of such animals,” Pandit pointed out.
Though the government has imposed a ban on the sale of diclofenac, the drug is easily available in the market.
“Besides, vultures are affected by a kind of virus that renders them weak and finally leads to their death,” said local environmentalist Dr Santa Kumar Das. PNN