Himalayan Griffons | 21 Mar 2022

Why in News?

Recently, at least Himalayan Griffons died of suspected poisoning in Assam.

What do we Know about Himalayan Griffons?

• About:
  • The Himalayan Griffon Vulture, Gyps himalayensis, is an Old World vulture in the family Accipitridae, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and hawks.
  • It is closely related to the European Griffon Vulture, G. fulvus.
  • This vulture is a typical vulture, with a bald white head, very broad wings, and short tail feathers.
  • It has a white neck ruff and yellow bill and the whitish body and wing coverts contrast with the dark flight feathers.
• Protection Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Near Threatened (NT)
• Distribution Range:
  • The Himalayan vulture mostly lives in the Himalayas on the Tibetan plateau (India, Nepal and Bhutan, central China and Mongolia).
  • It is also found in the Central Asian mountains (from Kazakhstan and Afghanistan in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east).
  • Occasionally it migrates to northern India but migration usually only occurs altitudinally.

What are the Characteristics of Vultures?

• About:
  • It is one of the 22 species of large carrion-eating birds that live predominantly in the tropics and subtropics.
  • They act an important function as nature’s garbage collectors and help to keep the environment clean of waste.
    • Vultures also play a valuable role in keeping wildlife diseases in check.
• Species in India:
  • India is home to 9 species of Vulture namely the Oriental white-backed, Long-billed, Slender-billed, Himalayan, Red-headed, Egyptian, Bearded, Cinereous and the Eurasian Griffon.
    • Most of these 9 species face danger of extinction.
    • Bearded, Long-billed, Slender-billed, Oriental white-backed are protected in the Schedule-1 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. Rest are protected under ‘Schedule IV’.
• Threats:
  • Poisoning from diclofenac that is used as a medicine for livestock.
  • Loss of Natural Habitats due to anthropogenic activities.
  • Food Dearth and Contaminated Food.
  • Electrocution by Power lines.
• Conservation Efforts
  • By India:
    • The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) launched a Vulture Action Plan 2020-25 for the conservation of vultures in the country.
  • To study the cause of deaths of vultures in India, a Vulture Care Centre (VCC) was set up at Pinjore, Haryana in 2001.
  • Later in 2004, the VCC was upgraded to being the first Vulture Conservation and Breeding Centre (VCBC) in India.
    • At present, there are nine Vulture Conservation and Breeding Centres (VCBC) in India, of which three are directly administered by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS).
  • International:
    • International: SAVE (Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction):
      • The consortium of like-minded, regional and international organisations, created to oversee and coordinate conservation, campaigning and fundraising activities to help the plight of south Asia’s vultures.
      • Objective: To save three critically important species from extinction through a single programme.

Source: DTE