Restaurant of Vulture

        Restaurant of Vulture

These restaurants are targeted to preserve the wild vultures that have seen a huge decrease in their population owing to inappropriate meal. The vulture population in Nepal is estimated to have fallen to a mere 500 nesting pairs from at least 50,000 pairs in 1990.

In 2004 researchers working in Pakistan discovered that diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory drug used in livestock, was poisoning and killing vultures (29 July 2006). Nepal started producing a new cattle drug meloxicam, which is considered a safe alternative for anti-inflammatory diclofenac, and it is intended to halt a big decline in endangered vultures. (August 04 2006,). Although the use of diclofenac is prohibited in Nepal and neighbouring India, but the ban is widely ignored.

In a recent news report, it is told that more than 100 birds are the regular “customers” in the restaurant. It is told that there are plans to emulate India and build a breeding centres. Similar schemes have already been run successfully in South Africa and Europe, but the Nepali project is unique as it is being driven by the local community rather than by professional conservationists.

Looks like people are doing a lot to save the bird. But in a report  published in March, 2007 points that the Vulture restaurant has only slowed deaths and more needs to be done to prevent the ultimate extinction of the bird.

It is told that there are plans to emulate India and build a breeding centres. Similar schemes have already been run successfully in South Africa and Europe, but the Nepali project is unique as it is being driven by the local community rather than by professional conservationists.

After the vulture restaurant, conservation effort in Nepal continues by opening its first vulture breeding centre to try to save the birds from extinction.

Of the eight species of vultures found in Nepal, the white-rumped and slender-billed vultures are categorized as critically endangered.

The numbers of both species have plunged in Nepal and India and scientists say the decline is largely due to farmers dosing their cattle with diclofenac, a drug used to treat inflammation, poisoning the scavenging birds.

The plan is to capture at least 10 breeding pairs of vultures for each of the critically endangered species and keep them initially in two aviaries at Kasara in Chitwan National Park, said Dev Ghimire, an official with Bird Conservation Nepal.