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CONSERVATION REPORT
Vulture rescue centre set up in northern Bangladesh for rescue and rehabilitation of Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis
All images by SAKIB AHMED/IUCN
A.B.M.SAROWAR ALAM,SAKIB AHMED,TARIK KABIR & KAZI ZENIFAR AZMIRI Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis is classified as Near Threatened because the limited population studies show mixed population trends and it may be susceptible to quick declines in population if the use of the veterinary painkilling drug diclofenac in livestock is not reduced. Its range extends from western China, Central Asia, Afghanistan and Pakistan, through the Himalayan mountain range in north India, Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet, to central China and Mongolia (Lu et al. 2009); the population is estimated to be between 100,000– 499,999 individuals, although it has not been adequately quantified (BirdLife International 2017). The species is usually found in mountainous regions, mainly between 1,500–4,000 m but as high as 6,000 m and down to 900 m in the Himalaya. In winter, some birds—mainly juveniles—migrate to lower altitudes, for example to the plains of north and occasionally south India. It is a scarce winter visitor to Thailand, the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Myanmar and Cambodia (BirdLife International 2017). In Bangladesh, after first being recorded in 2001, it is now considered to be a regular but rare winter migrant, mainly to northern parts of the country (IUCN Bangladesh 2015). Although the exact number of individuals visiting Bangladesh has not been quantified, every year there are a number of media reports of Himalayan Griffons that have been rescued or killed (IUCN 2017). Birds that are weak or injured are rescued, rehabilitated and released
by the Bangladesh Forest Department, although some are kept in captivity or captured and killed by locals. From 2014 to 2016, a total of 40 sick or injured Himalayan Griffons were rescued from the northern districts: 27 in winter 2014–2015 and 13 in winter 2015–2016. The vultures were rescued by the community-based Vulture Conservation Team (VCT) and local Forest Department officials. All the vultures were sent to the Bangabandhu Safari Park (near Dhaka) for treatment and rehabilitation. Of the 40 rescued vultures, only eight remained in the park at the end of 2017: two had died and autopsies indicated avian influenza and avian tuberculosis respectively, whilst the rest were released back to the wild (Alam et al. 2016, IUCN Bangladesh 2016). Due to the number of Himalayan Griffons being rescued in the northern districts, and the resources required to rescue and transport them to another part of the country, it was deemed necessary to set up a rescue centre in northern Bangladesh. In October 2016 the Community Based Vulture Safe Zone Management project, implemented by IUCN Bangladesh, established a temporary vulture rescue centre, thanks to collaboration between the Bangladesh Forest Department and the local VCT, in Singra National Park, Dinajpur district, northwest Bangladesh. The vulture rescue centre is constructed on sandy ground and is a 4.6 m tall and 9.2 m wide bamboo structure with a small pool and perches made from horizontal bamboo poles (Plate 1).
Plate 1.The temporary vulture rescue centre at Singra National Park,Dinajpur district,north-west Bangladesh,5 March 2017.
Plate 2.Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis inside the rescue centre prior to release,5 March 2017.
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Here the birds were kept under watch by Forest Department officials and IUCN staff and were given 1 kg of chicken as food every two days. The vultures were also treated for injuries and other ailments when required by the Forest Department veterinarian. In winter 2016–2017, 16 Himalayan Griffons were rescued, all in the north-west districts of Dinajpur, Nilphamari and Panchagarh. Of these, eight were released after immediate treatment by Bangladesh Forest Department. The rest were kept in the rescue centre (Plate 2) and, after treatment and rehabilitation, were released on 6 March 2017 (Plate 3).
Fourteen of the 16 rescued Himalayan Griffons were ringed and biometric measurements and oral samples were taken. The samples were then analysed for avian influenza, tuberculosis and other diseases. Table 1 shows the details of the ringing and biometric data. Conservation and research implications As a number of Himalayan Griffons are rescued every year, it is imperative that the rescue centre continues to function. A long-term and permanent centre is needed in Bangladesh to rescue, rehabilitate and reduce mortality of these birds,
Table 1.Details of rehabilitated Himalayan Griffons Gyps himalayensis in Bangladesh.
No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Place Panchagarh Panchagarh Safari Park,Gazipur Safari Park,Gazipur Safari Park,Gazipur Safari Park,Gazipur Safari Park,Gazipur Singra NP,Dinajpur Singra NP,Dinajpur Singra NP,Dinajpur Singra NP,Dinajpur Singra NP,Dinajpur Singra NP,Dinajpur Singra NP,Dinajpur
Date 13/02/2016 13/02/2016 11/12/2016 11/12/2016 11/12/2016 11/12/2016 11/12/2016 06/03/2017 06/03/2017 06/03/2017 06/03/2017 06/03/2017 06/03/2017 06/03/2017
Ring number B00 B01 B02 B03 B04 B05 B06 B07 B08 B09 B10 B11 B12 B13
Tarsus diameter (mm) 23.7 22.9 20.9 21.4 20 21.5 22.8 23.1 23.8 22.8 24.2 23.7 25.1
Tarsus length Bill to skull (mm) (mm) 114.9 76.6 110 76.4 113.9 77.5 127.1 75.3 112 77.4 114.3 77.4 131.9 79 121.5 84.3 107.4 84.4 113.4 77.9 117 83.7 118.5 75.7 119.5 86.5 119.1 77.6
Weight (kg)
7.2 5.5 6.1 6.2 7.23 9.45 9.6 9.2 8.2 8.6
Plate 3.Official release of a Himalayan Griffon at Singra National Park; presiding officials right to left: A.B.M.Sarowar Alam (Principal Investigator,Vulture Conservation Initiative in Bangladesh),Ishtiaque Uddin Ahmad (IUCN Bangladesh Country Representative), Abdul Awal (Conservator of Forests,Bangladesh Forest Department) and Tuhin (local Forest Department),6 March 2017.
38 Vulture rescue centre set up in northern Bangladesh for rescue and rehabilitation of Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis
which otherwise remain in the hands of local resident s. T he c om mu n it y-ba se d Vu lt u re Conservation Team in that area must also be further strengthened and trained in the rescue and treatment of sick, weak or injured vultures. In the future this initiative may also provide an opportunity to improve our knowledge of and facilitate research into these birds by the attachment of satellite transmitters to the rescued Himalayan Gr iffons before release. Th is w i l l help in understanding their migration and ecology and assist in the long-term conservation of the species. Acknowledgements The authors are indebted to the government of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Forest Department for their support and for providing a place to set up the rescue centre. The authors would also like to thank the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds for providing interim funding for the vulture programme and IUCN Bangladesh Country Office for implementing it. Thanks also to all the experts, friends and well-wishers. References Alam,A.B.M.S.,Rawshan,K.,Kabir,T.,Ahmed,S.,Ahammed,R.,Nasim, R.& Khandker,R.H.(2016) White-rumped Vulture (Gyps bengalensis)
conservation in Bangladesh: establishment of toxic drug free vulture safe zones (VSZ) and monitoring population trend. Dhaka: Bangladesh Forest Department. BirdLife International (2017) Species factsheet: Gyps himalayensis. Accessed at http://www.birdlife.org on 11/10/2017. Lu X.,Ke D.,Zeng X.,Gong G.& Ci R.(2009) Status,ecology,and conservation of the Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis (Aves, Accipitridae) in the Tibetan Plateau.AMBIO 38: 166–173. IUCN Bangladesh (2015) Red List of Bangladesh, 2: birds.Dhaka: International Union for Conservation of Nature,Bangladesh Country Office. IUCN Bangladesh (2016) Vultures and vulture safe zones of Bangladesh. Dhaka: International Union for Conservation of Nature,Bangladesh Country Office. IUCN (2017) Rehabilitated Himalayan griffon vultures released.Accessed at http://www.iucn.org on 11/10/2017.
A. B. M. Sarowar ALAM Principal Investigator, Community based Vulture Safe Zone Management in Bangladesh IUCN Bangladesh Country Office, House B-138 Road 22, Mohakhali DOHS 1206, Bangladesh Email:
[email protected] Sakib AHMED, Tarik KABIR and Kazi Zenifar AZMIRI IUCN Bangladesh Country Office, House B-138 Road 22, Mohakhali DOHS 1206, Bangladesh
