Nepal may soon opt for captive breeding of three species of vultures endemic to South Asia, whose population has declined by over 95 percent since the early 90s, and are on the brink of extinction. Bird Conservation Nepal has proposed establishment of a breeding center in collaboration with Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, near Bees Hazari Tal in Royal Chitwan National Park. A ministry source said that the proposal is 'close to approval'. Dr Tirtha Bahadur Shrestha, a renowned biodiversity expert, believes that captive breeding is a welcome approach to save the vultures. Opining that habitat destruction could also be a cause of the population decline, he stressed on habitat management. "Vultures dwell in tall Bombax trees, which have become rare these days," he said. The sharp decline in the population of these vultures - Oriental White-backed Vulture (Gyps bengalensis), Long-billed Vulture (Gyps indicus), and Slender-billed Vulture (Gyps tenuirostris) - found only in Nepal, India and Pakistan; is attributed to Diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used in treating veterinary diseases. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) included these species in its 'Critically Endangered' category in 2000. "Breeding vultures in captivity is the only option for preventing their extinction," says Dr Andrew A Cunningham, Head of Wildlife Epidemiology at Zoological Society of London (ZSL), who recently visited Nepal. He reasoned that banning Diclofenac use was unlikely to be successful unless cheap and safe alternatives were found. "Banning the drug would not ensure a complete and immediate halt in usage," he said, adding, "We don't have time to wait." Cunningham was in the capital to collect samples from dead vultures to determine the cause of their death. Bird Conservation Nepal (BCN) has been collecting and preserving dead vultures from across the country for investigation. Cunningham had collected samples from two dead vultures earlier this year and this time he collected samples from five dead vultures. The samples, also collected from India and Pakistan, are analyzed in ZSL to ascertain the cause of death. "Earlier samples revealed that they died due to Diclofenac," he said. Vultures that feed on carcasses of cattle that are treated with Diclofenac die due to kidney failure, he said. "We need to examine more birds to ascertain the cause of their death," he says. He even requested people to inform BCN if they see any dead vultures.

Dr Hem Sagar Baral, ornithologist and chief advisor of BCN is investigating the decline of vulture population in Nepal. According to him, the number of vultures' nest in Koshi Tappu has dropped from 67 in the year 2000 to three now. Baral estimates that there are around 500 pairs of vultures in the country. Since last year, BCN has been seeking approval to establish a captive-breeding center to save these birds from extinction. India has already started captive breeding with 40 juveniles in Pinjore, Haryana. "If the concerned authorities do not take the matter seriously, vultures may become extinct," Baral said.

OTHER NEWS

• Lumbini gets face-lift: With the second World Buddhist Summit approaching, Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Gautam Buddha, has had several development works - that could not be carried out in the last 26 years - to boast of, although a master plan for the city's development was chalked out in 1978. Everyone who visits Lumbini these days will be amazed to witness the rapid changes the city has gone through in the last two months for the summit that is to take place from November 30 to December 2 here. The shrine has also undergone aesthetic enhancement with the organizers working overtime, albeit at the eleventh hour. Four gardens surrounding Mayadevi Temple, an enchanting pond reflecting the temple in, a gravel path around the pond with attractive turfs, a one-and-half kilometer canal that is wide enough for boating are some of the decorative works that have been carried out recently. Further, several development works such as construction of a bus-park, electrification and telephone line expansion in the nearby areas, boons to locals here, have also been carried out by Lumbini Development Trust along with several other government line agencies. But there are doubts as to the consistency of such development, as the present changes have come about six years after the first summit.
  
  
• Nepal, Sri Lanka sign Air Service Agreement: Nepal and Sri Lanka have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that allows the operation of flights between the two countries. According to the Royal Nepalese Embassy in Colombo, the MoU signed on Tuesday states that both countries could designate one or more airlines for the agreed service. The designated airlines are entitled to operate up to a total number of 7 passenger services and 4 freight services per week.
  
  
• Interaction to boost tourism: Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and Royal Nepalese Consulate General-Kolkata, on November 20, jointly organized an interaction program on 'Tourism Development in Nepal' with an objective to promote tourism in Nepal. According to a press release issued here recently, Bhoj Raj Ghimire, Secretary of Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, addressing the interaction program, requested the Indian journalists to relay the message that Nepal is still a safe destination. Dr Govind Prasad Kusum, Consul General, Royal Nepalese Consulate General-Kolkata, highlighted the importance of Indian tourists for the success of the entire tourism industry, according to the release.
  
  
• Locals go anti-Maoist again: In a major showdown against Maoist atrocities meted out to ordinary villagers for protesting Maoist's actions, thousands of villagers, joined by senior cabinet ministers, took out anti-Maoist rallies here on Monday. Villagers from 13 Village Development Committees (VDCs), along with Home Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka, Minister of Local Development Yuvaraj Gyawali and Minister for Science and Technology Balaram Gharti Magar, marched around the Dullu Palace. Addressing the mass, the ministers pledged that the government would take responsibility of ensuring security of the villagers. Minister Khadka informed that all security arrangements (withdrawn earlier) would be restored within a month. On the other hand, hordes of villagers displaced by Maoist violence have reached the district headquarters.
  
  

By Hari Shrestha, Resident Representative in Kathmandu