Kanchanpur, September 3
Conservationists are encouraged by the rising vulture population in the Kanchanpur district in far-western Nepal.
Vultures feed on dead animals and are regarded as natural scavengers.
Earlier, the record suggested that the presence of vultures was extinct. But, the efforts launched to conserve the bird led to a significant rise in its population.
In 2010, the sole habitat of the vulture was found here, but now the situation is different. The finding of 50 nests has suggested the increasing number of birds in the district.
Nepal Bird Conservation’s conservationist Hirulal Chaudhary says, “The development can be taken positively. The bird’s population had significantly dropped in the past two decades, making the people concerned disappointed. Its number has now increased from 10 to 200.”
The ban on the use of diclofenac, the anti-inflammatory drug, has led to the rise in the vulture population.
Meanwhile, an event is being held on the occasion of International Vulture Awareness Day in the Shuklaphanta National Park today. The day is observed on the first Saturday of September every year.
