INFORMED SOCIETY IS ESSENTIAL FOR ANY CONSERVATION EFFORTS

Khima Nand Balodi is working for the conservation of vultures in Uttarakhand. His efforts have been recognized by many national and international organizations. His projects have been funded by many international conservation organizations including the Oriental Bird Club, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP), a co-creation of Bird Life International, Flora and Fauna International (FFI) and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). He is closely working with the SAVE (Saving Asia’s Vulture from Extinction), a consortium of international conservation organizations in South Asia for vulture conservation. He has also undergone the Conservation Management and Leadership Training Workshop in Canada, after receiving the prestigious ‘Future Conservationist Award-2016’ given by CLP. He talked to Mukesh Devrari about his experiences so far as emerging conservation ecologist from this region. Excerpts from his interview.  

Why people are not sensitive about environmental conservation? What can be done to improvise the understanding of society about our ecosystem and need for protection and conservation of our environment?   

Scientists produce scientific reports and they often fail in communicating their work with larger communities. Scientific work generally discussed among scientists, but it somewhere fails in reaching the policymakers and masses. Here, comes the role of professional communication experts. Any message related to conservation must have four elements in it - loss, love, need and action. Any message created for convincing people about the need for environmental conservation must include these elements. Scientists share their work with media, but it often does not make it to the print page. Perhaps the reason is that our scientific communities failed in creating appropriate messages for the consumption of the journalistic community and masses. The situation can be improvised by giving training to environmental scientists about the requirements and nature of journalistic writing. It is important to reach a wider audience and convince them about the righteousness of this cause.  

How many types of vultures can be found in Uttarakhand? Why these vultures are important to us?

There are 16 species of old world vultures and 7 species on new world vultures on earth. Out of those, nine species of old world vultures can be found in India. Out of these nine, 4 are critically endangered and one is endangered as per the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). In Uttarakhand state 8 species of vulture have been recorded and out of these, three are critically endangered (White-rumped vulture, Slender-billed vulture and Red-headed vulture), one endangered (Egyptian vulture) and three near threatened (Himalayan vulture, Bearded vulture and Cinereous vulture). Since the 1990’s the number of some vulture species have been reduced by 99.99 percent. Vultures have religious, ecological and economical significance. These have a great significance in Hindu mythology as ‘Jatayu of Ramayana’, and are also important among the Buddhism and Parsi religion (Tower of Silence). Vultures commonly feed on livestock and wildlife carcasses and have a natural capacity of digesting all microorganism including harmful pathogens. Some of the diseases in human and livestock are similar. If the carcasses of live stocks will be eaten by the dogs and other animals, who live close to human settlements, there is a great chance that diseases emanating from dead carcasses could affect the human population. By eating carcasses, vultures protect the potential spread of diseases from dead animals to humans. In this way, vultures provide clean the environment and save human life. Vultures are not only important for ecosystem, but they also significantly contribute economically to our society. It has been well documented through various empirical studies that vultures stop the spread of diseases and help the skinner communities involved in selling the bones of dead animals to various companies. As per a IUCN and other organizations, each vulture contributes approximately five-six lakh rupees per year to our economy. Protecting vultures is important not only from the point of view of environmentalists, but it is important from the economic perspective also. Vultures are not only important part of food chain. They are also important for human health and its consequential economic benefits are immense

What are the reasons behind the dwindling population of vultures?

One of the biggest killers of vultures, was identified by conservation scientists, is diclofenac. This medicine is generally given to livestock as anti-inflammatory or pain killer when they fell ill. If livestock survives for more than 72 hours after the intake of medicine, it consumes the diclofenac, but if the livestock survives less than that period, than its carcass carries the remnants of diclofenac. When vultures eat dead livestocks carrying diclofenac, kidneys and liver of vultures fail. This medicine is considered responsible for bringing vultures on the verge of extinction. Although, it has been banned for use in veterinary treatment since March, 2006, and large vial of it in human use since July 2015, however, its illegal use is continued. Second reason for the widespread death of vultures in Uttarakhand is accidental and revenge killing. In the mountains, when any big cat preys on live stocks, people used to mix poison/pesticide on dead animals. They know that big cat will come back to eat their prey. If it comes back it will be killed. But the problem of this approach is that it also kills vultures, because they are first ones who come to eat dead bodies in day time while big cats eat at night. This reason is also an issue of concern, for the survival of other wildlife especially in the naturally protected mountain region. Another threat to vultures in Uttarakhand is electrocution. We recorded many electrocuted dead vultures from various carcass dumping sites in the vicinity of high power transmission lines in Doon valley itself. This issue is a result of unorganized and unregulated dumping of waste including livestock carcasses and municipal solid waste. Apart from these reasons, the increasing urbanization and other unsustainable developmental activities are responsible for the vulture declination. 

Why authorities are not taking appropriate steps to protect the vultures in Uttarakhand?

This is because of the lack of data about the population of different vulture species and threats to them in the state. Even some conservation efforts have been initiated in the past but were not effective. Conservation actions need support from different stakeholders which includes forest, animal husbandry, health, electricity and revenue department. Panchayats have also a important role to play. Many of these stakeholders are not even aware about their role in vulture conservation in the state. Conservation requires strong coordination among the departments, institutions and civil society organizations. To this date we could not do it. 

What can be done in the Uttarakhand to protect the vulture species?
Further studies can be done to better understand the present status of vultures in the state. A comprehensive outreach education and advocacy program is urgently required to spread awareness among the masses, in which print and electronic media as well as social media would also be helpful. Furthermore, a stakeholder workshop is needed to discuss the role of each department and to prepare a state level Vulture Conservation Action Plan, which can also be incorporated into the Vulture Conservation Action Plan of India. In order to achieve the vulture conservation goals and long term conservation of these species, support can be taken from international conservation organizations and individual experts in this field.

(Khimanand Balodi is also a PhD scholar in School of Environmental Sciences of Doon University.)