Cry of a carrion-eater

IN COLD terms of the natural world, they are scavengers, who work with deadly efficiency. They look for dead or dying creatures, and remove all trace of flesh.

For long, visitors to the Vandalur Zoo have been able to come face to face with this great species of Nature's ``disposal squad.''

Vultures. One of the important predators, which form part of the ecosystem, they might disappear as their population has been affected by infectious disease.

Eight species of vultures are found in India - White Backed or Bengal, Long billed, Himalayan Griffon, King Vulture, Cinerious and Egyptian - to name a few. Naturalists and bird watchers the world over are concerned over the declining population of carrion eaters.

For those who want to get a close look at these big birds, there is now a 25-metre square box specially designed for housing the six Bengal vultures in the Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Vandalur.

Way back in 1986 a pair of Bengal vultures, captured from a village, were donated to the zoo. After creating a suitable atmosphere, their number has increased to six now, says Mr. N. Krishnakumar, Park Director.

In captivity, these predators are fed 500 grams of chopped beef pieces, and the huge birds move to the tall trees inside the enclosure. Vultures are cautious birds. They protect their newly hatched young from predators by laying their eggs in the tallest branches of trees, which cannot be easily reached by any predators, says Mr. A.Manimozhi, Biologist of the Zoo.

A decade ago, these birds could be easily sighted close to the burial grounds and in villages too. But, today, they are a fast disappearing species in the wild.

The contiguity of vulture habitats and their movement patterns make spread of disease over vast distances a big threat.

Villagers poison the carcasses of cattle to kill wild animals that stray into human habitations. Vultures eating the carcass develop diseases, leading to a high mortality rate, says a recent study by the World Wide Fund for Nature-India (WWF). It also pointed out that chemical pesticides can have a severe impact on the bird population.

A few years ago zoos the world over were concentrating only on protecting the major carnivores such as lions, tigers and panthers, thinking that conservation of these would indirectly help the other species in the food chain.

Now the thinking has changed and efforts should be taken to protect each species, nature lovers say.

By P.Oppili

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