Puppet shows organised in the Nilgiris to spread awareness about vultures

UDHAGAMANDALAM Arulagam, a conservation NGO working on protecting vultures in the region, organised

Arulagam, a conservation NGO working on protecting vultures in the region, organised puppet shows on Wednesday and Thursday for school students and the residents of Ebbanadu, Kookalthorai, Chinna Coonoor and Ulhatti, to spread awareness on the importance of vultures and the threats they face.

S. Bharathidasan, secretary of Arulagam, said there were three species of vulture that inhabit the Nilgiris – the long-billed vulture, white-rumped vulture, and the Asian king vulture, while occasional migrants such as the Egyptian vulture, cinereous vulture and the Himalayan griffon vulture have also been recorded in the past.

Over the years, the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to treat cattle such as diclofenac, aceclofenac, flunixin, ketoprofen and nimesulides have led to the crash in vulture population across India, with the Nilgiris remaining as the last stronghold for vulture population in southern India.

Mr. Bharathidasan said the NGO was working with the Forest Department, Department of Animal Husbandry and the district administration to limit the use of NSAIDs harmful for vultures and instead promote use of safe drugs to treat cattle such as meloxicam, tolfenamic acid, and ayurvedic and homeopathic drugs that can be used as alternatives.

“The audience were shown with the use of puppets, how vultures serve to maintain forests healthy by scavenging on the carcasses of dead animals,” said Mr. Bharathidasan.

The puppet shows also showcase the impact that poisoning carcasses of animals killed by predators has on vulture population, while it was also emphasised that animals killed naturally in vulture habitats should be left for the birds to scavenge to ensure food availability and to help increase the chances for the vulture populations to increase in the long run.