Paper 5: A decade of vulture conservation in Nepal

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1 Paper 5: A decade of vulture conservation in Nepal By: Khadananda Paudel 1, 2*, Toby H. Galligan 3, Krishna P. Bhusal 1, Ishana Thapa 1, Richard J. Cuthbert 3, 4, Christopher G. R. Bowden 5, Racchya Shah 6, Narendra M. B. Pradhan 1 1 Bird Conservation Nepal, Lazimpat, Kathmandu, Nepal 2 Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel, Kavreplanchowk, Nepal 3 RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, RSPB, The Lodge, Sandy, SG19 2DL UK 4 Wildlife Conservation Society, PO Box 277, Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea. 5 Globally Threatened Species Recovery Unit, RSPB, The Lodge, Sandy, SG19 2DL UK 6 IUCN Nepal, Kupandole, Lalitpur, Nepal * Corresponding author: Khadananda Paudel, knpaudel@gmail.com Abstract Nine species of vultures have been recorded in Nepal. Seven species have undergone considerable decline in recent years and have had their global threat status lifted. In Nepal, the non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug diclofenac, to which vultures are highly intolerant, but exposed to through the carcasses of treated livestock, caused massive declines in vulture populations. In order to halt the declines, veterinary diclofenac was banned, Vulture Conservation Action Plans for Nepal ( and ) were prepared and implemented, and Bird Conservation Nepal (BCN) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) assumed the mantle of vulture conservation. BCN-RSPB initiated an integrated approach, which involved advocacy, education, monitoring, research, captive breeding, supplementary feeding and site protection. BCN-RSPB established a Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre and pioneered Diclofenac-Free Districts, Vulture Safe Feeding Sites and Vulture Safe Zones. The provisional Vulture Safe Zone in Nepal covers more than half of the country with essentially no diclofenac available. In response, vulture populations are stable and nest numbers are likely to be increasing. However, vultures remain vulnerable; therefore, conservation actions need to continue. Key words: vulture, considerable decline, Vulture Safe Zone, Diclofenac Free Districts, Vulture Safe Feeding Sites, captive breeding. Introduction Nine species of vultures have been recorded in Nepal, namely: the White-rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis (WRV), Slender-billed Vulture Gyps tenuirostris (SBV), Red-headed Vulture Sarcogyps calvus (RHV), Indian Vulture Gyps indicus (IV), Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus (EV), Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus (BV), Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis (HG ), Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus (CV) and Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus (GV) (BCN and DNPWC, 2016). Among these six (WRV, SBV, RHV, EV, BV and HG) are resident breeders, one is a winter migrant (CV), one is a passage migrant (GV) and one is a vagrant species (IV) (BCN and DNPWC, 2011; DNPWC, 2015). Four species (WRV, SBV, RHV and IV) are listed as Critically Endangered, one species (EV) is listed as Endangered and another three species are listed as Near Threatened (BV, CV, HG) by The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN, 2016). In all cases, these species have had their threat status recently updated in response to massive population declines primarily in South Asia. Nationwide road-transect surveys in the lowlands of Nepal between 1995 and 2011 showed 91% and 96% declines in populations of the WRV and SBV respectively (Chaudhary et al., 2012). 39

2 Declines of similar magnitude and timing in up to five species of vultures have been observed in Bangladesh (Khan, 2013), India (Prakash et al., 2012; Galligan et al., 2014) and Pakistan (Gilbert et al., 2006). The cause of declines in Gyps vultures has been shown to be the non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) diclofenac (Oaks et al., 2004, Swarup et al., 2007, Green et al., 2004, 2007), which was widely used to treat livestock in South Asia in the 1990s and 2000s. Vultures are exposed to diclofenac by feeding on livestock carcasses that contain residues of this drug. A postmortem examination of dead or dying birds from India and Nepal showed a high incidence of diclofenac residues and visceral gout (Shultz et al., 2004). Mathematical modeling of data indicated that only a small proportion (1 in 130) of carcasses contaminated with lethal levels of diclofenac could have caused the vulture mortality rate, and diclofenac poisoning was the main or sole cause of vulture population declines (Green et al., 2004, 2007). Diclofenac is nephrotoxic at low doses to all species of Gyps vultures tested so far (Oaks et al., 2004, Swan et al., 2006, Naidoo et al., 2009, Das et al., 2010); possibly other vulture species too, given the similarity in the magnitude and timing of declines in these species (Acharya et al., 2010, Galligan et al., 2014); and probably other raptors (Sharma et al., 2014). Other NSAIDs currently available in Nepal are vulture-toxic too, specifically: aceclofenac (Galligan et al., 2016); ketoprofen (Naidoo et al., 2009); and nimesulide (Cuthbert et al., 2015). The toxicity of yet more remain unknown. The recovery of threatened vulture species in Nepal relies on the control of all of these vulture-toxic NSAIDs. Conservation actions in Nepal In order to halt the decline of Gyps vultures in Nepal, both in-situ and ex-situ conservation of these birds has been practiced. The Government of Nepal banned the production and use of veterinary diclofenac in 2006; prepared and implemented the Vulture Conservation Action Plan for Nepal ( ); and prepared the Vulture Conservation Action Plan for Nepal ( ), which is currently being implemented (DNPWC, 2015). Bird Conservation Nepal (BCN) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) assumed the mantle of vulture conservation in Nepal. BCN-RSPB initiated an integrated approach for the conservation of vultures, which involves advocacy, education, monitoring, research, captive breeding, supplementary feeding and site protection to help implement Vulture Conservation Action Plans. In 2008, a Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre was established in Chitwan National Park in collaboration with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation and Nepal Trust for Nature Conservation; and, starting in 2009, BCN-RSPB pioneered the idea of working with local communities to establish Diclofenac-Free Districts (DFD), Vulture Safe Feeding Sites (VSFS) and the greater Vulture Safe Zone (VSZ) (Figure 1; Paudel, 2013). In-situ Conservation BCN-RSPB s main in-situ conservation activity is the creation of a VSZ, which is an area greater than 30,000 km 2 that encompasses at least one Gyps vulture nesting colony, suitable foraging habitat and food sources free of diclofenac. The provisional VSZ (pvsz) in the western lowlands of Nepal extends from Chitwan district to Kanchanpur district and covers an area of 99, 143 km 2 (Figure 1). BCN-RSPB work with entire communities within the pvsz to bring an end to diclofenac and other threats to vultures. In doing so, BCN-RSPB engage government agencies, non-government organizations and community groups to further disseminate vulture conservation messages and take actions to protect vultures. BCN s Vulture Conservation Programme Team, which includes a Coordinator, Community Mobiliser, Field Veterinarian and Field Biologist, regularly communicate with the community; monitor vulture populations and the prevalence of diclofenac; and investigate additional threats to vultures. Approximately 30 nesting colonies of vultures (largely WRV, but all other resident breeders) are protected within the pvsz. Following this lead, provisional VSZs are now being implemented in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. The pvsz is made up of 45 DFDs, with another four satellite DFDs outside the pvsz (Figure 1). The pvsz is expanded by focusing conservation efforts at the district level, engaging district government agencies and creating DFDs. A DFD is one where district government agencies have 40

3 sworn to end veterinary use of diclofenac; and where monitoring veterinary pharmacies show no diclofenac availability. Within the pvsz, six community-run VSFS have been established. Communities at these sites take in old and ailing cattle from local farmers and care for these animals, without the use of vulture-toxic NSAIDs, until their natural death and then provide their carcasses to vultures. Only animals that die after 10 days in the care of the community are provided in case these animals were treated with NSAIDs before arriving at the VSFS. The communities sell the hides, bones and manure in return for caring for the cattle and vultures. These communities are further supported with income generating activities, such as setting up bee, fish and chicken farms, purchasing pumps for irrigating cropland and attracting tourists to visit the sites. VSFSs provide nature enthusiasts a rare opportunity to see significant numbers of multiple threatened species, the thrilling spectacle of vultures feeding, and vulture conservation messages. On a national scale, BCN-RSPB advocate bans on vulture-toxic NSAIDs, like aceclofenac, ketoprofen and nimesulide, to government agencies. In addition, BCN-RSPB have convinced a pharmaceuticals manufacturer to discontinue the production and sale of a multiple dose (30 ml) formulation of diclofenac intended for human use, but suitable for livestock use. Figure 1: Map of Nepal showing Diclofenac-Free Districts (area shaded green). Ex-situ Conservation VCBC was established as an insurance against the continuing decline of Gyps vultures. It currently houses 57 WRVs in two colony aviaries. Vultures were taken as fledglings from the wild to stock the centre in Only two pairs have successfully reared a chick to date; but now that the vultures are mature, their attempts at rearing young have been more successful. Special, husbandry and veterinary support is provided by the International Centre for Birds of Prey and Zoological Society of London. 41

4 Achievements The availability of diclofenac in the pvsz is essentially zero. BCN-RSPB overt surveys found no diclofenac in 300 veterinary pharmacies between 2012 and 2013; however, diclofenac was found in covert surveys in two towns in the same period. BCN-RSPB stepped-up its conservation actions; resurveyed veterinary pharmacies in 2014 and again in 2015; and found no diclofenac in the 85 towns and cities surveyed each year. As a result, this now appears to be among the safer areas for vultures in the subcontinent in this respect. The overall nest numbers of WRV in the pvsz (Nawalparasi, Rupandehi, Kapilbastu, Dang, Kailali and Kanchanpur districts) is likely to increase (Figure 2). The increase has been gradual, as is to be expected. Surveys at WRV nesting colonies in the breeding season found 130 more nests than in the breeding season. Across the years, new nesting colonies and the nests within have been added to the overall total. Some of these may be colonies that were not found in earlier years, but others may actually be new colonies, as can be expected from a recovering population. The population trend for WRVs in the pvsz is stable (Figure 3). Each year, BCN-RSPB survey vultures along a road transect running east to west through the pvsz. After the devastating years of decline, little population change between 2009 and 2015 has been noticed; however, the population of this species and other vultures remain small and therefore vulnerable. Figure 2: absolute count of active nest of WRV during surveys in the pvsz ( ). 42

5 Figure 3: absolute count of WRVs during road transect survey in the pvsz ( ). Conclusions and Recommendations A decade of continual vulture conservation actions in Nepal has engaged whole communities not to use diclofenac for veterinary purposes and made more than half the country theoretically safe for vultures. In response, vulture populations have stabilised and may be increasing slowly. Keeping account of this progress, the Government of Nepal has planned to release vultures from the VCBC into the pvsz (DNPWC, 2015). However, all populations remain small and therefore vulnerable. The population size of all vulture species that have been recorded in Nepal was estimated at around 500,000 in the 1990s and the current estimated number of all vulture species is only around 20,000. It is very difficult for animals that have undergone large declines, as vultures have, to return to their former numbers. Action to rid Nepal of vulture-toxic NSAIDs needs to continue. Monitoring of vultures and NSAIDs should continue as well as strong community engagement. New research assessing the relative impact of additional threats to small populations of vultures in Nepal (e.g. direct human persecution, unintentional (aka secondary) poisoning and electrocution) is needed as these may prevent the restoration of vulture populations. Moreover, it is recommended to expand and intensify vulture conservation actions in eastern districts, thereby making all of Nepal a Vulture Safe Zone. 43

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