100 Vultures- ‘All Himalayan Griffons’ Die of Suspected Poisoning

In Assam, at least 100 vultures, all Himalayan griffons, have perished of poisoning. Officials from the State Forest Department said the event occurred in a rice field in the Chhaygaon area of Kamrup district, around 45 kilometres west of Guwahati.

In February 2020, at least ten endangered vultures died after feasting on a pesticide-laced livestock corpse near a town.

"As soon as we received the information, we went to the location. By that time, at least 100 vultures had died. We were able to preserve 12 vultures and a scavenger,” according to Sachin Ranade of the Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre in Rani, near Guwahati.

The bones of a goat were discovered among the vulture carcasses, according to Divisional Forest Officer Dimpi Bora. "We believe the vultures perished after nibbling on the goat's poisoned carcass, but an autopsy report will determine the cause of death," she said.

"It's past time for the police to investigate and prosecute those responsible for such poisonings." This has been going on for the last 12-15 years, but neither the police nor the Forest Department have taken any action," said wildlife campaigner Moloy Baruah.

More than 30 vultures were discovered dead in eastern Assam's Dibrugarh district a week ago after eating on a poisoned cow carcass. Officials discovered that several villagers poisoned the carcass to get rid of stray dogs.

Four Himalayan griffons were discovered dead near a wetland in the Dhakuakhana area of Lakhimpur district in February 2021. The birds' bodies were discovered alongside a dead cow.

The poisoned corpses of two cows killed 23 vultures in the Dhola area of eastern Assam's Tinsukia district in January of that year. The oriental white-backed and slender-billed vultures were among them.

The population of the Gyps group in India and Nepal, which includes Himalayan griffons, white-backed and slender-billed birds, dropped by 99.9% in just two decades, as per research conducted by Bombay Natural History Society and other organizations in the 1990s.