Rare vulture species being treated at Wildlife Service Foundation

Wildlife Service Foundation (WSF) in Moulvibazar has rescued a critically endangered species of vulture from Ashidron area of Sreemangal. The vulture was recovered from near the house of one Govinda Das from Taltala of Ashidron union on Sunday night, according to locals. Sreemangal WSF Director Sajal Dev said: “The health of the vulture is not good. It is being treated at WSF. We will release it to the wild once it fully recovers.” Experts say vultures can live up to 100 years, which is the highest among bird species. They were visible in Bangladesh’s sky even few years ago. Now they are very rare. One of the reasons for their rapid population decline is using the anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac for their treatment. Diclofenac is banned in India, Pakistan and Nepal. Experts say eating flesh from dead carcasses do not harm the vultures physically, but if the vultures eat dead carcass contaminated with diclofenac, it causes kidney failure which results in the vultures' death within a few days. International Vulture Awareness Day is celebrated every year on September 5 to raise awareness about the endangered species.