White-rumped vulture Changa manga, Pakistan Saturday 3rd September was International Vulture Awareness Day (IVAD), and partners of SAVE were busy in all six range countries spreading awareness of vultures and the challenges they face. In Bangladesh, the Forest Department and IUCN Bangladesh hosted an event at the Hoimanti Auditorium, in Dhaka. This event was graced…

It is with great sadness that we heard last week that SAVE and vulture stalwart Dr Ram Jakati passed away following a long battle with cancer. We have conveyed our condolences to his wife and family. Dr Jakati, who was Chief Wildlife Warden for the Forest Department in Haryana for many years, played a key…

We are delighted to share the news that our very own Chris Bowden has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for services to environmental science and international vulture conservation. Chris’ career has seen him make a substantial contribution to saving four bird species from the brink of global extinction (Northern bald…

As reported in the Indian press, ‘The Hindu’ – The office of the Director of Drugs Control, Tamil Nadu has registered over 100 cases against suppliers, distributors, manufacturers, and retailers of diclofenac. Since the 2006 ban of veterinary diclofenac, and the vial size restriction to 3ml needed for human use, this is the first time…

The ultimate goal of any breeding programme involving critically endangered species is to be able to supplement wild populations to prevent their extinction. But within this overall aim, there are several other criteria that ideally need to be met. These include released birds behaving in ways similar to their wild counterparts; to successfully breed, perhaps…

A paper published in the current issue of Science of the Total Environment (here) confirms that the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), nimesulide, is toxic to vultures, following safety testing of the drug on vultures in South Africa. Since the banning of veterinary diclofenac, the NSAID which drove three species of Gyps vultures to near-extinction in…

SAVE announces the addition of BirdLife International as its latest member, and Core Partner. BirdLife has always been closely associated and supportive of SAVE, but this fully recognises the important role it plays. Vinayagan Dharmarajah, the Asia regional director (and long-term vulture fan) based in Singapore has become increasingly involved in various aspects of SAVE…

The recovery of populations of two Critically Endangered vulture species in Nepal is linked directly to progress in removing the toxic drug diclofenac from veterinary use in Nepal’s Vulture Safe Zone (VSZ). Action in this VSZ has raised public awareness about the hazard posed to vultures by the toxic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug when it is…

The Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav,  awarded Dr Vibhu Prakash of the Bombay Natural History Society the Directors Prani Mitra Award 2021 for his role in vulture conservation. The award is for the ex-situ work in particular, and was made in the presence of Shri Kiritsinh Rana, Hon’ble Minister…

Ten wild white-rumped vultures have been caught, tagged and released, and eight more birds from the breeding centre were tagged and released, by the Government of Nepal, Bird Conservation Nepal (BCN) and other conservation organisations. Two of the released birds were captive-bred juveniles, and six were captive-reared adults. BCN team tagging and ringing the birds…