Griffon vulture successfully treated for poisoning and released in Golaghat district

Golaghat: A Himalayan griffon vulture, which showed signs of poisoning, was rescued from a village in Bokakhat town of Golaghat district. The bird was taken to the Center for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) for treatment and later released into the wild on Thursday by WTI-IFAW, Sonali Ghosh, IFS, park director Kaziranga NP and the Assam Forest Department.

The Himalayan griffon vulture was discovered by villagers after it fell from a tree. Concerned for his welfare, they immediately alerted the Assam Forest Department. The bird was rushed to the Center for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) in Kaziranga, a facility jointly managed by WTI-IFAW and the department.

Upon examination, it was determined that the bird had poisoning, probably caused by eating a carcass. Under the dedicated care of WTI-IFAW veterinarians, the vulture made a full recovery from its critical condition. It was released on Thursday in the Agoratoli eastern area of ​​Kaziranga in Assam by WTI-IFAW, Sonali Ghosh, IFS, Park Director Kaziranga NP and the Assam Forest Department.

Dr. Sonali Ghosh, IFS, field director of Kaziranga National Park said: “It is heartening to see the Himalayan griffon vulture taking its flight back to recovery. For more than 22 years, Team CWRC has been steadfast in rescuing and rehabilitating distressed wildlife.”

Dr. Bhaskar Choudhury, Divisional Head, Wild Rescue and Head Vet NE, WTI said, “We have rescued 397 vultures between 2000 and March 31, 2024 and released 244 of them after treatment. These cases involve species such as the Himalayan Griffon, the slender-billed vulture, the white-rumped vulture and the black vulture.”

The toxicity in this case came from pesticides. The carcass of the goats has been seized by the Forest Department and an investigation has been initiated. Reports indicate that villagers often use poisoned livestock carcasses to target wild dogs that prey on livestock. Unfortunately, this practice inadvertently leads to the poisoning of vultures that feed on these carcasses.

The Himalayan Griffon Vulture is categorized as ‘Near Threatened’ on the IUCN Red List. Vultures play a crucial role as scavengers and serve as nature’s “sanitary engineers” by feeding on carcasses of both wild and domesticated animals. Several studies indicate that the decline of vulture populations in South Asia is largely attributed to poisoning incidents, including pesticides and certain livestock drugs, which cause kidney failure in vultures and contribute significantly to mortality, according to a press release.

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