HawkTalk Issue 94 Summer 2023

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HAWKTALK SUMMER 2023 ISSUE 94

Hot off the press! Our Head of Conservation, Research and Education, Dr Campbell Murn, and Pakistan Vulture Restoration Project (PVRP) Manager, Jamshed Chaudhry from WWF-Pakistan, have recently published an article summarising the major events in our Pakistan Vulture Restoration Project, working to bring back Asia’s vultures from the brink of extinction. Publishing scientific updates takes time, so we are excited to share each important step in our work.

The Collapse of South Asia’s Vultures Since the mid-1990s millions of vultures in south Asia died after ingesting the residues of a veterinary drug called diclofenac – a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is highly toxic to vultures if they feed on the carcass of an animal that has been treated with it shortly before death. Diclofenac as the cause of the vulture declines was only discovered in 2004 by Dr Lindsay Oaks, and since then the race has been on to save the remaining vultures across the subcontinent, with extinction being a very real possibility. So what are we doing? Since 1997, the Hawk Conservancy Trust, along with other conservation organisations, research institutes and governments, has worked to make sure we do not lose these vital birds. Currently the PVRP is working to create more Vulture Safe Zones. These are areas where wild vultures usually breed, that are targeted to be made free from harmful veterinary drugs. The Trust also funds and supports a breeding centre in Changa Manga, about 70km southwest of Lahore, which is operated by WWF Pakistan. The plan for Changa Manga is to maintain a small ‘safety net’ population of vultures which will one day be released into the safe zone areas.

Timeline of the Pakistan Vulture Restoration Project 1990s Vulture populations start to crash in south Asia. 2004 Veterinary diclofenac identified as the cause of vulture declines. 2004 Gyps Vulture Restoration Project started by WWF-Pakistan. 2006 D iclofenac banned in Pakistan for veterinary use. 2007 C hanga Manga vulture breeding centre opened. 2011 The conservation organisation SAVE (Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction) established.

2011

The Pakistan Restoration Project joined SAVE. Creation of Pakistan’s first VSZ (Vulture Safe Zone) in Sindh Province, SE Pakistan. First successful breeding of Asian White backed Vultures at Changa Manga. Other vulture-unsafe veterinary drugs (ketoprofen and aceclofenac) restricted for use in the Sindh VSZ. Development of second VSZ in NE Pakistan begins.

2012

2014

2017

2019

2020 Pharmaceutical and veterinary drug use survey for Punjab Province completed. Future We move closer to securing the recovery

You can access the full article on our website, and with your on-going support, we can continue our work to conserve these important birds.

of south Asia’s diverse and fascinating vultures, but significant challenges remain and our work is far from over.