Deadly Span, Pg6

Key Highlights:

• India's vulture population experienced a catastrophic decline of 99.5% by 2007, down from an estimated 40 million in the 1980s.
• The primary cause of this decline was the veterinary painkiller diclofenac, which caused kidney failure in vultures feeding on treated cattle carcasses.
• The Indian government banned diclofenac for veterinary use in 2006/2008 and extended bans to aceclofenac and ketoprofen in 2023 to protect vultures.
• An emerging threat to the fragile vulture population is electrocution from India's expanding power infrastructure.
• The absence of vultures led to a surge in feral dog populations, resulting in increased rabies outbreaks and an estimated annual economic cost of $69.4 billion.

Vulture Crisis.jpg

Detailed Insights:

• The population crash severely impacted white-rumped, Indian, and slender-billed vultures.
• A 2024 study in the American Economic Review estimated that human mortality rose by 4% due to the ecological consequences of vulture decline.
• Vultures are particularly vulnerable to electrocution due to their wide wingspans, habit of perching on elevated structures, and attraction to food waste near electrical installations.
• A study in the Journal of Threatened Taxa suggested that relocating livestock carcass dumps away from high-tension power infrastructure could mitigate electrocution risks.
• An assessment for the State Climate Resilient Power System Development Project noted that electrocution incidents also occur on medium-voltage lines, not just high-voltage ones.
• Avian electrocution is likely under-documented in India as dead birds can be removed by humans or scavengers.
• Solutions to prevent electrocution include insulating conductors, increasing the gap between energized and grounded components, and installing safe perches.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs): A class of drugs used to reduce pain and inflammation, some of which are highly toxic to vultures.
• Diclofenac: A specific NSAID that caused widespread kidney failure and death in vultures, leading to its ban for veterinary use.
• Avian Electrocution: The death of birds caused by contact with energized electrical power lines or equipment.
• Visceral Gout: A pathological condition in birds, often a symptom of NSAID poisoning, characterized by the deposition of uric acid crystals on internal organs.