Home / Environment / Koderma Fights to Save Vultures from Toxic Veterinary Drugs
Koderma Fights to Save Vultures from Toxic Veterinary Drugs
8 Aug
Summary
- Vultures facing sharp decline due to toxic veterinary drugs
- Awareness program held to promote responsible veterinary practices
- Vulture Safe Zone established to provide uncontaminated food for vultures
In Koderma, the natural scavengers crucial to ecological balance, vultures, are facing a sharp decline due to the widespread use of toxic veterinary drugs. To address this alarming trend, the Koderma forest division conducted an awareness program on August 6th, 2025, emphasizing the urgent need to conserve these endangered birds through responsible veterinary practices.
The program brought together para-veterinarians, livestock owners, and officials from the animal husbandry and forest departments. Satya Prakash, a bird expert and state coordinator of the Indian Bird Conservation Network (IBCN), explained how vultures ingest lethal residues of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) when feeding on carcasses of treated cattle, leading to renal failure and eventual death, particularly from visceral gout caused by diclofenac toxicity.
To address this issue, the Divisional Forest Officer, Saumitra Shukla, underscored the collective responsibility of stakeholders, stating that the conservation of vultures is essential to prevent ecological collapse. The forest, veterinary, and municipal departments, along with local cattle owners, must work in tandem. As part of this initiative, the Koderma forest division has established a "Vulture Restaurant" at Gumo, a safe feeding site for vultures, ensuring they receive uncontaminated food and preventing environmental pollution caused by decaying bodies.
