Nashik: A 'restaurant for vultures'? It may sound odd, but its a reality now. Thanks to Nashik Forest Department which has taken up a unique initiative to conserve vultures on the verge of extinction. The rapid decline in the number of vultures poses a threat to the environment. The Forest Department has set up special restaurants at five places in the district. The meat of dead animals is given to vultures there.
Out of nine types of vultures found in the country, five types are seen in Nashik district. Speaking about the unique initiative of the Forest Department's efforts, conservationist Pranav Bhanose said vultures, which are vanishing day by day, need urgent preservation.
Along with the Forest Department, the Wildlife Society has also taken the initiative for the conservation of vultures, which are an important link in the food chain of wildlife.
According to Bhanose, Forest Department has now opened restaurants in Borgad, Anjaneri, Harsul and Peth in Nashik for the conservation of vultures. Animals that die in road accidents are dumped here. These dead animals are devoured by vultures in 20 minutes. They have the ability to digest rotten meat.
Since the breeding season of vultures is one year, their number is increasing slowly. Currently, there are about 1000 vultures in Nashik district. Therefore, efforts are on to keep them safe, said Bhanose. He said Nashik Municipal Corporation set up a mechanism to pick up animals that die due to natural death or road accidents and take them to the vulture restaurant of the forest department.
Bhushan Kale, coordinator of Yashwantrao Chavan Center, said the number of vultures is decreasing due to various reasons. The life span of a vulture is 50 to 60 years. However, farmers often give dicofinac injections to cattle. Eating dead animals, which are given such injections, prove fatal for vultures as they get kidney and liver diseases.
Due to this, they die early. In the 10 years from 1992 to 2002, the number of vultures decreased by 96 per cent. On the demand of some wildlife organisations, the government banned such an injection. Bhanose said that due to this, the number of vultures is now increasing.
There has been a large-scale urbanisation in Nashik. Due to this, many tall trees are cut down. Due to this, vultures no longer have shelter in the city. In the early days, vultures easily got food in the city.
