Poison kills 32 rare vultures in Assam
Context
Death of 32 vultures in Assam’s Sivasagar district. Of the 32 that died, 29 were Himalayan griffons
Reason for death
Consumption of a poisoned carcass of a goat
Vulture population
Research data cited by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) last year show that populations of white-backed vultures appeared to have stabilised, but that of long-billed vultures was on the decline
Diclofenac
A steady reduction in the numbers of vultures in India was linked to the use of veterinary medicines such as diclofenac, leading to a ban on its use in animals
