Gyps indicus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	Falconiformes	Accipitridae

Scientific Name:

Gyps indicus

Species Authority:

(Scopoli, 1786)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Indian Vulture

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Critically Endangered A2bce+4bce ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2009

Assessor/s

BirdLife International

Evaluator/s:

Bird, J., Butchart, S., Symes, A.(BirdLife International)

Justification:
This species is classified as Critically Endangered because it has suffered an extremely rapid population decline as a result of feeding on carcasses of animals treated with the veterinary drug diclofenac.

History:

2008	–	Critically Endangered
2004	–	Critically Endangered
2002	–	Critically Endangered
2000	–	Not Recognized
1994	–	Not Recognized
1988	–	Not Recognized

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Gyps indicus breeds in south-east Pakistan (where it is rare although a 200-250 pair colony was discovered in 2003 in Sindh Province, Pakistan³) and peninsular India south of the Gangetic plain, north to Delhi, east through Madhya Pradesh, south to the Nilgiris, and occasionally further south. It was common until very recently, but since the mid 1990s, it has suffered a catastrophic decline (over 97%) throughout its range, first noticed in Keoladeo National Park, India² where the population fell from 816 birds in 1985-1986 to just 25 in 1998-1999. Just one tiny population in the Ramanagaram Hills of Karnataka remains in inland southern India, and it is rare elsewhere within its former range. Extensive research has identified the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), diclofenac, to be the cause behind this rapid population collapse^5,6,7,8. This drug, used to treat domestic livestock, is ingested by vultures feeding on their carcasses leading to renal failure causing visceral gout^6,8,10,11. In 2007 the total Indian population, based on extrapolations from road transects, was estimated at 45,000 individuals, with a combined average annual decline for this species and G. tenuirostris of over 16% between 2000-2007¹⁹.
Countries:	Native: India; Pakistan Vagrant: Malaysia Present - origin uncertain: Afghanistan
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

Population [top]

Population:	Population estimate extrapolated from 2007 survey results by Prakash et al. (2007) who recorded 337 individuals along >18,000 km road transects.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It is found in cities, towns and villages near cultivated areas, and in open and wooded areas. This species feeds almost entirely on carrion, and often associates with the White-rumped Vulture G. bengalensis when scavenging at rubbish dumps and slaughterhouses. It nests almost exclusively in small colonies on cliffs and ruins, although in one area, where cliffs are absent, it has been reported nesting in trees. Vultures also play a key role in the wider landscape as providers of ecosystem services, and were previously heavily relied upon to help dispose of animal and human remains in India.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

It is found in cities, towns and villages near cultivated areas, and in open and wooded areas. This species feeds almost entirely on carrion, and often associates with the White-rumped Vulture G. bengalensis when scavenging at rubbish dumps and slaughterhouses. It nests almost exclusively in small colonies on cliffs and ruins, although in one area, where cliffs are absent, it has been reported nesting in trees. Vultures also play a key role in the wider landscape as providers of ecosystem services, and were previously heavily relied upon to help dispose of animal and human remains in India.

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	By mid-2000, Gyps vultures were being found dead and dying in Pakistan and throughout India, and major declines and local extirpations were being reported. The anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac, used to treat domestic livestock, has been identified as the cause of mortality from renal failure resulting from visceral gout in the vast majority of examined vultures^6,7,8,10. Modelling has shown that to cause the observed rate of decline in the species just one in 760 livestock carcasses need contain diclofenac residues⁵. Other likely contributory factors are changes in human consumption and processing of dead livestock, and poison and pesticide use, but these are probably of minor significance.

Major Threat(s):

By mid-2000, Gyps vultures were being found dead and dying in Pakistan and throughout India, and major declines and local extirpations were being reported. The anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac, used to treat domestic livestock, has been identified as the cause of mortality from renal failure resulting from visceral gout in the vast majority of examined vultures^6,7,8,10. Modelling has shown that to cause the observed rate of decline in the species just one in 760 livestock carcasses need contain diclofenac residues⁵. Other likely contributory factors are changes in human consumption and processing of dead livestock, and poison and pesticide use, but these are probably of minor significance.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Conservation actions underway: CITES Appendix II. CMS Appendix II. It has been reported from many protected areas across its range. The Indian government has now passed a bill banning the manufacture of the veterinary drug diclofenac that has caused the rapid population decline across the Indian Subcontinent; their aim was to phase out its use by late 2005^9,10, although its sale has not been banned and it is likely to remain in widespread use for several years. Similar laws banning import and manufacture of diclofenac are now in place in Nepal and Pakistan. A letter from the Drug Controller General of India in 2008 warned more than 70 drugs firms not to sell the veterinary form of diclofenac, and to mark human diclofenac containers 'not for veterinary use'¹⁷. Efforts to replace diclofenac with a suitable alternative are ongoing; drug companies have now developed meloxicam, an alternative to diclofenac, which has been tested on Gyps vultures with no ill-effects. The Report of the International South Asian Vulture Recovery Plan Workshop in 2004 gave a comprehensive list of recommendations including establishing a minimum of three captive breeding centres each capable of holding 25 pairs¹⁵ - ultimately at least 150 pairs of the three species should be held in captivity to ensure sufficient birds are available to re-establish wild colonies in the future¹⁸. Captive breeding efforts are ongoing and as of April 2008 there were 71 individuals in captivity at three conservation breeding centres in India²⁰. Conservation actions proposed: Identify the location and number of remaining individuals and identify action required to prevent extinction. Measure the frequency of diclofenac treated carcasses available to vultures. Support the ban on the veterinary use of diclofenac, and support species management or restoration, as needed. Initiate public awareness and public support programmes. Monitor remaining populations, in particular, survey southern India where it is hoped vulture populations may not have crashed to the same extent that they have in the rest of the Subcontinent. Support captive breeding efforts at a number of separate centres. Promote the immediate adoption of meloxicam as an alternatives to diclofenac. Test other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to identify additional safe alternative drugs to diclofenac and also other toxic ones.

Conservation Actions:

Conservation actions underway:

CITES Appendix II. CMS Appendix II. It has been reported from many protected areas across its range. The Indian government has now passed a bill banning the manufacture of the veterinary drug diclofenac that has caused the rapid population decline across the Indian Subcontinent; their aim was to phase out its use by late 2005^9,10, although its sale has not been banned and it is likely to remain in widespread use for several years. Similar laws banning import and manufacture of diclofenac are now in place in Nepal and Pakistan. A letter from the Drug Controller General of India in 2008 warned more than 70 drugs firms not to sell the veterinary form of diclofenac, and to mark human diclofenac containers 'not for veterinary use'¹⁷. Efforts to replace diclofenac with a suitable alternative are ongoing; drug companies have now developed meloxicam, an alternative to diclofenac, which has been tested on Gyps vultures with no ill-effects. The Report of the International South Asian Vulture Recovery Plan Workshop in 2004 gave a comprehensive list of recommendations including establishing a minimum of three captive breeding centres each capable of holding 25 pairs¹⁵ - ultimately at least 150 pairs of the three species should be held in captivity to ensure sufficient birds are available to re-establish wild colonies in the future¹⁸. Captive breeding efforts are ongoing and as of April 2008 there were 71 individuals in captivity at three conservation breeding centres in India²⁰.

Conservation actions proposed:

Identify the location and number of remaining individuals and identify action required to prevent extinction. Measure the frequency of diclofenac treated carcasses available to vultures. Support the ban on the veterinary use of diclofenac, and support species management or restoration, as needed. Initiate public awareness and public support programmes. Monitor remaining populations, in particular, survey southern India where it is hoped vulture populations may not have crashed to the same extent that they have in the rest of the Subcontinent. Support captive breeding efforts at a number of separate centres. Promote the immediate adoption of meloxicam as an alternatives to diclofenac. Test other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to identify additional safe alternative drugs to diclofenac and also other toxic ones.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2009. Gyps indicus. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 February 2010.
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