India acts quickly on conservation of vultures as compared to western countries

MUMBAI: Vultures in South Asia have been under threat for over a decade now. But the silver lining is that India has acted quickly to conserve this species, as compared to many western countries in the past.

A new research paper in "Science" has observed that the central and state governments in India were quick enough to bring the vultures back from the brink, with help from research institutions such as BNHS, under the SAVE (Saving Asia's Vultures from Extinction) consortium. The paper further states that many western countries have been much slower in acting upon the environmental impacts of pesticides that were felt over decades, and were highlighted in Rachael Carson's groundbreaking book — Silent Spring, published 50 years ago.

The paper published in the journal "Science" by Dr Andrew Balmford of Cambridge University gives a perspective on the progress of vulture conservation in South Asia. It attributes the progress so far to the quick response of the governments in the region to the vulture crises by banning veterinary diclofenac. The paper, while documenting the turnaround story of vultures, praises India for timely action in saving the dying species, which would help maintain the balance of nature.