BNHS to Reintroduce Two Vulture Species in Assam

BNHS to Reintroduce Two Vulture Species in Assam: A Cautious Step Forward

Assam is set to witness a critical conservation intervention. The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has announced plans to reintroduce two species of vultures — the Slender-billed Vulture (Gyps tenuirostris) and the White-rumped Vulture (Gyps bengalensis) — both listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List. Alarmingly, India has already lost 99% of its vulture populations over the past three decades, making this initiative both urgent and fraught with challenges.

A Decade-Long Crisis Finds a Response

Vultures were once ubiquitous across the Indian subcontinent. Up until the 1980s, these scavengers were a crucial part of the ecosystem, feeding on carcasses and preventing the spread of zoonotic diseases. However, their populations plunged catastrophically due to the widespread veterinary use of Diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). It’s estimated that between 1992 and 2007, vulture declines in South Asia exceeded 95% for certain species, including the Oriental White-backed, Long-billed, and Slender-billed vultures.

What makes the BNHS intervention unique is its bold focus on reintroducing vultures into the wild. While captive-breeding programmes have been operational for some time — and the Vulture Conservation Breeding Centres (VCBCs) established in Pinjore, Haryana, and Rani, Assam, have seen some success — releasing these birds into the wild represents an untested gamble. Previously, efforts to repopulate vultures were confined to long-term captivity due to persistent environmental risks, especially the continued availability of Diclofenac in the illegal market. By moving from conservation in isolation to ecosystem reintegration, BNHS is attempting something unprecedented in India.

The Institutional Machinery and a Troubled History

BNHS’ reintroduction strategy hinges on legislative and administrative safeguards like the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which places these species under Schedule I, granting them the highest level of legal protection. However, mere legal frameworks are inadequate. India’s track record underscores the difficulty of enforcement: Diclofenac, though banned for veterinary use in 2006, is still accessible in its human formulations, often misused for livestock treatment. The Forest Department and State Drug Controllers have struggled to curb this illicit use.

The BNHS itself is a credible actor, with over 140 years of research and advocacy to its name. Yet, its ability to independently monitor pharmaceutical compliance, ensure vulture-safe food sources, and navigate the fragmented mandates of various state and central institutions is questionable. Contrast this with Nepal’s more streamlined model: the Himalayan nation not only banned Diclofenac but also implemented rigorous community-based surveillance systems, yielding noticeable population recovery in several vulture species.

The Gap Between Optimism and Reality

Government and conservationist rhetoric often frames vulture reintroduction as a triumph in biodiversity governance. But the challenges go deeper. Diclofenac alternatives like Meloxicam and Tolfenamic acid, though promoted as “vulture safe,” remain sparsely used because they are more expensive and less widely available, particularly in rural vet clinics. A 2015 survey by the BNHS noted that only 18% of pharmacists stocked Meloxicam regularly, a number unlikely to have drastically improved given the lack of targeted subsidy or awareness campaigns.

Food scarcity presents another challenge. Vultures require safe, toxin-free carcasses, but in Assam, as in much of India, the unregulated disposal of pesticide-treated livestock poses a persistent hazard. A 2018 report by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) found that nearly 28% of cattle carcasses tested in vulture-sensitive zones contained trace amounts of harmful pesticides or NSAIDs.

An Eye on Comparative Lessons

Globally, successful vulture reintroduction programmes provide models but also cautionary tales. South Africa’s Cape Vulture (Gyps coprotheres), for example, benefitted significantly from an integrated conservation plan that emphasized communal feeding stations, legislative enforcement against poisoning, and extensive public awareness. However, even there, sporadic die-offs from lead poisoning and habitat encroachment remain a constant source of worry. India, with its decentralized governance and vast rural hinterlands, faces an even more daunting task in implementing similar measures at scale.

Unfinished Conversations Around Accountability

The BNHS proposal may offer a glimmer of hope, but it also raises thorny questions. Who is accountable for the survival of the released vultures? State forest departments lack both the technical expertise and resources to execute a complex intervention like this, and no clear roadmap for such coordination has been articulated. How will the effectiveness of Diclofenac enforcement be audited, especially in unorganized supply chains? Without such clarity, the reintroduction effort risks being a symbolic exercise rather than a sustainable solution.

Furthermore, the broader implications for state-level execution are unclear. Assam may host the initiative, but vultures are highly migratory. Adjacent states like Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Meghalaya must also demonstrate strong enforcement of vulture-safe drug regulations. The ecological contamination from one jurisdiction could unravel the progress made in another, especially since vultures frequently cross borders in search of carrion.

Ultimately, while BNHS’ initiative is symbolically significant, it is just as much a reminder of the foundational gaps in India’s wildlife governance framework: fragmented jurisdiction, weak enforcement, and the reluctance to align conservation goals with rural livelihoods. Without addressing the systemic issues that decimated vulture populations in tandem with reintroduction, the long-term survival of these species remains uncertain at best, a pipe dream at worst.

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