Vultures gradually making a comeback

Wildlife officials say the population is increasing in various parts of Punjab

LAHORE: Vultures may have all but disappeared from different parts of the country, but the winged scavengers can still be seen in the skies of Cholistan and the coastal areas of Makran. One of the common species spotted in these areas is the Eurasian Griffon.

Punjab Wildlife Protection Department officials said the numbers of vultures are increasing in the province. The department shared pictures and videos of Eurasian Griffon and Egyptian vultures on social media.



Punjab Director of Wildlife Protection Mohammad Naeem Bhatti confirmed the increasing numbers and said vultures can be seen in Rahim Yar Khan and Cholistan. He added that white and brown Egyptian vultures are seen in a few areas of Tharparkar in Sindh.

“Egyptian vultures have relatively small bodies.  White-backed vultures and those with longer beaks are present in Nagarparkar, but their numbers are low.” White-backed vultures are also being bred in the breeding center of Changa Manga.



These birds usually make nests over trees, while the vultures with longer beaks create theirs in the mountains.



Around 10 to 12 years ago, vultures were found in most of the cities and towns of Pakistan, but now they are on the verge of extinction. The underlying reason was the government ban on the medicine Diclofenac sodium which was used for the treatment of sick animals.



The ban occurred due to pressure from an NGO working for the protection of the environment in 2006. WWF officials said vultures are environmentally-friendly birds which eat decaying corpses and therefore eradicate diseases.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 21^st, 2019.