Experts moot tagging vultures with GPS in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve

COIMBATORE: To study the migration patterns of vultures and study their behavioural changes, conservationists from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka have put forth a draft document seeking the government's nod to GPS tagging of vultures in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR).

Addressing a meeting in Coimbatore on Monday, the experts also sought ban on use of drugs like Nimesulide that are harmful to vultures.

“A proposal has been made to the Forest Department to tag vultures with GPS devices to study their behaviour to take up conservation efforts,” said S Bharathidasan, secretary of Arulagam, an NGO and Nature Conservation Organisation that organised the meeting. The draft document on vulture conservation was released by former Nilgiris DFO Badrasamy and was received by K Kalidass, founder of Osai.

They also sought a ban on the use of drugs like Nimesulide that are harmful to vultures. “Before introducing any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), they should be safety tested to ensure these drugs do not cause any harm to wildlife and vultures. More research should be done on vultures, while the government should take forward an action plan to protect vultures,” conservationists from Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka emphasised at the meeting organised by Arulagam.

Chris Bowden, who is the co-chair of IUCN Vulture Specialist Group (VSG), said that of the total 23 vulture species found globally, nine are critically endangered, three are endangered and four are under threat.