Carcass on the menu at vulture restaurant

In an attempt to arrest dwindling numbers, winged scavengers will be able to feast on dead remains of animals in special area at wildlife sanctuary in Raigad

Approximately 150 kilometres away from the city, set deep in the heart of Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary situated in Raigad, there's a restaurant with a twist.

Perched on a hilltop, spread across two acres of land, this new eatery will require no reservation. However, the only item on the menu will be carcass of animals.



By the end of February, a 'vulture restaurant' will be inaugurated and its aim will be to provide safe food for vultures, whose number, is fast declining.

The place will be an attempt by officials to arrest the sudden decline in the number of vultures. They will scatter carcasses of cows and buffaloes.

Dying species

Vultures in India, Pakistan and Nepal began dying two decades ago after a painkiller called Diclofenac used to treat sick farm animals became popular in the region, according to environmentalists.

Feasting on heavily medicated pack animals, the vultures were unknowingly bringing about their own demise.

Lt Col J C Khanna (retd) of The Bombay Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BSPCA), said, "The chemical is used as a painkiller on sick farm animals. The vultures consume them and in turn get affected."

In an effort to save the scavengers from extinction, the state of Maharashtra embarked on this project, as the population has gone down by 99 per cent in the last 10 years, said Vibhu Prakash, Deputy Director of Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS).

Although, Diclofenac is officially banned it is easily available in the market owing to which farmers continue to use it.

"We are encouraging the use of Meloxicam but it will take time to catch up. Diclofenac has been around for long, so farmers prefer to use it frequently," added Prakash.

But bird expert Adesh Shivkar believes that huge efforts are needed to bring about awareness among farmers about the harmful effects of Diclofenac. He says, "Chemicals like Meloxicam which is also a pain killer should be made available for free, so that farmers stop using Diclofenac."

Bird experts and veterinarians have welcomed the launch of the vulture restaurant and hope the number of scavengers will soon go up. Preparations for the launch of the restaurant are afoot.

Dilip Gujar, Deputy Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) Thane, said a local veterinarian will check the carcasses for the presence of Diclofenac before being scattered for the birds.
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"Only after being checked, will the carcasses be given to the vultures. The area will be fenced properly to prevent other animals from entering."

Challenges

The obstacle, however, will be arranging food on a regular basis. "We are trying to persuade the villagers to give the carcasses of farm animals.
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We will also try and get leftover parts from various slaughterhouses. The villagers will be paid Rs 3,000 for each carcass," said Gujar.
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A sum of Rs 1 lakh has been allocated for the project, which has already seen some success. In a test-run, when carcasses of a few animals were scattered for 2-3 days some 25 vultures were spotted in the area.
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Shivkar welcomes the move but is unsure.
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He said, "The carcasses lying there may be free from Diclofenac but what if the vultures go and feed themselves somewhere else? The whole purpose of the project will be defeated."

Reason to smile

In addition to helping resurrect a dying species, the vulture restaurant also brings a smile on the faces of several Parsis.

The dwindling number has been a problem for the community, which dispose the dead by placing them in the Tower of Silence, to be decomposed by the vultures.

Parsis have begun to opt for another method of disposing the dead cremation, which has become a heated debate.

Dinshaw Mehta, chairman of Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) also welcomed the move. "We are definitely happy with the initiative," said Mehta. However, not all Parsis think the move will benefit the community but believe that the move is good for the ecology.

Numbers Matter

According to conservation group BirdLife International:
>White-rumped vulture, Indian vulture, Red-headed vulture, Slender-billed vulture Status: critically endangered.
>Egyptian vulture: Status: endangered.
>Cinereous vulture: Status: Near threatened

10,000
The number of vultures left in India

Rs 1 lakh
Amount allocated for the project