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Vultures Die From Poisoned Cattle Drugs
22 Mar
Summary
- Critically endangered red-headed vultures sighted after years.
- A tagged vulture died from NSAID poisoning in Rajasthan.
- Banned drugs remain available, threatening vulture survival.
A recent sighting of the critically endangered red-headed vulture at Siswan in February 2026 offered a glimmer of hope for India's vulture conservation efforts. This sighting occurred alongside near-threatened cinereous vultures, last photographed in the area in March 2013. However, this positive news was overshadowed by a tragic incident in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, where a juvenile cinereous vulture, tagged in Kazakhstan for migration tracking, died from suspected NSAID poisoning.
The vulture's death highlights the persistent threat of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in livestock. Despite bans on specific veterinary NSAIDs like diclofenac, veterinarians and livestock owners often switch to other available drugs not tested for vulture safety. This practice continues to endanger vulture populations, which have not recovered to their 1980s numbers despite extensive breeding programs.
Scientists urge mandatory safety testing for all 14 veterinary NSAIDs and strict enforcement of existing bans to prevent premature vulture deaths. The effectiveness of India's "Action Plan for Vulture Conservation 2020-2025" is questioned due to the slow implementation of crucial drug safety testing protocols. Indian pharmaceutical companies have yet to fund safety testing for their NSAIDs, placing the burden on governments and conservation NGOs.
