Prelims: (Environment + CA)
Mains: (GS 3 – Environment, Biodiversity Conservation, Wildlife Protection) |
Why in News ?
The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has successfully released 15 critically endangered Indian vultures into the Melghat Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. This marks a significant step in India’s efforts to restore vulture populations, which suffered catastrophic declines due to veterinary drug toxicity and habitat stress.
Background: India’s Vulture Crisis and Revival Efforts
India once hosted over 99% of the world’s vulture population, but numbers crashed by more than 95% since the 1990s.
The primary cause was the veterinary drug diclofenac, lethal to vultures feeding on treated cattle carcasses.
In response:
- Diclofenac was banned for veterinary use in 2006.
- Conservation breeding centres were established by BNHS.
- Phased reintroduction into safe habitats became the next step.
The Melghat release represents a transition from captive breeding to wild restoration, a crucial milestone in species recovery.
Why Melghat Tiger Reserve Was Selected
Melghat offers an ideal ecological and social landscape for vulture revival:
- Low use of toxic veterinary drugs due to awareness campaigns
- Abundant natural prey and livestock carcasses
- Large, undisturbed forest tracts
- Presence of tribal communities with traditional coexistence practices
- Strong institutional support from forest authorities and BNHS
This makes Melghat a “vulture-safe zone” within Central India.
About Melghat Tiger Reserve
Location & Geography
- Situated in Maharashtra, along the Gavilgarh Hill (southern offshoot of the Satpura Range)
- First notified tiger reserve in Maharashtra
- “Melghat” literally means confluence of valleys, reflecting its rugged terrain
- Bounded by the Tapti River and Gawilgadh ridge
Vegetation
- Dominated by tropical dry deciduous forests
- Teak is the primary species, along with bamboo and mixed hardwoods
River System
- Catchment area for five tributaries of the Tapti:
- Khandu, Khapra, Sipna, Gadga, and Dolar
Tribal Communities
- Korkus form the largest tribal group
- Other communities include Gond and Gawli
- Traditional forest dependence and coexistence shape conservation outcomes
Biodiversity
- Fauna: Tiger, leopard, sloth bear, Indian gaur, sambar, nilgai, dhole, hyena
- Avifauna: A stronghold of the critically endangered forest owlet
- Now emerging as a vulture conservation landscape
Ecological Importance of Vultures
Vultures are nature’s sanitation workers:
- Rapidly dispose of carcasses, preventing disease spread
- Reduce populations of feral dogs and rats
- Lower risks of rabies and zoonotic outbreaks
- Maintain ecological balance and nutrient cycling
Their decline previously contributed to public health crises, underlining their importance beyond wildlife conservation.
Conservation Challenges and Way Forward
Key Challenges
- Illegal use of toxic veterinary drugs
- Habitat fragmentation
- Power-line collisions
- Low reproductive rates of vultures
Way Forward
- Expansion of Vulture Safe Zones
- Monitoring of released birds through tagging
- Community engagement with livestock owners
- Strict enforcement of drug bans
- Integration of vulture conservation into tiger landscape management
Melghat’s success could serve as a replicable model for other reserves.
FAQs
1. Why are Indian vultures critically endangered ?
Due to poisoning from veterinary drugs like diclofenac, habitat loss, and low breeding rates.
2. What role does BNHS play in vulture conservation ?
BNHS leads captive breeding, research, awareness campaigns, and reintroduction programmes.
3. Why is Melghat ecologically suitable for vultures ?
It offers undisturbed forests, safe food availability, low drug toxicity, and strong institutional protection.
4. How do vultures contribute to human health ?
By rapidly removing carcasses, they prevent disease spread and control scavenger populations.
5. What is the significance of this release for India’s conservation efforts ?
It signals a shift from species survival in captivity to restoration in the wild, strengthening ecosystem-based conservation.
|
