Friday, January 23, 2009

Vulture population on rise at Jim Corbett national park

Jim Corbett (Uttarakhand), Jan.22: Forest experts at Jim Corbett national park in Uttarakhand are delighted over the rising number of vultures in the region.

This was indicated by an international project undertaken by the rangers of the wildlife sanctuary to count the vultures.

The positive reports about the population are significant considering a wide concern that vultures may soon become extinct.

"No doubt vulture population is decreasing in our country and wildlife experts are concerned. But I am very happy that I sighted over 100 vultures of three different species here. There are at least 20 pairs of Seyranian, there are around 35 pairs of Himalayan vultures and we even saw the cylinder built birds. This symbolises very good, I am very happy," said P.K. Patro, Divisional Forest Officer, Ramnagar.

According to available reports, 99 per cent of the country's vulture population has vanished mainly because they have been consuming carcasses of cows treated with an anti-inflammatory drug Diclofenac Sodium, whose manufacture was banned in006.

Scientists warn that Asian vultures can become extinct within a decade unless the livestock drug blamed for their rapid demise is eliminated.

Vultures find a place in Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the country's only legal framework to protect endangered species, which prohibits hunting and trafficking of endangered species.

Jim Corbett National Park has been named after the hunter turned conservationist Jim Corbett who played main role the park's establishment, which is today the oldest national park in India.

It was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park.

Located in Uttarakhand's Nainital district, the park acts as a protected area for the critically endangered Bengal tiger of India, the secure survival of which is the main objective of Project Tiger, an Indian wildlife protection initiative By Vibhav Porav

Soruce: http://www.dailyindia.com/show/293104.php

No comments: