Vulture conservation and power infrastructure

Notes

• Vulture populations in India crashed by 99.5% between the 1980s and 2007.
• Primary historical cause of decline: Diclofenac, a cattle NSAID, causing kidney failure in vultures.
• Government banned diclofenac; additional bans on aceclofenac and ketoprofen implemented in 2023.
• Ecological impact: Reduced scavenging led to increased feral dog populations and rabies outbreaks, resulting in an estimated $69.4 billion annual economic loss and 4% rise in human mortality.
• Emerging threat: Electrocution from power infrastructure due to large wingspans bridging conductors.
• Current status: Vultures nesting at only 50% of historic sites as of 2025.
• Risk factors: Perching on elevated structures, attraction to open landscapes, and proximity of food waste dumps to electrical lines.
• Mitigation strategies: Relocating carcass dumps away from power lines, insulating conductors, increasing gaps between energized components, and installing safe perches.

Part of a longer story

This is day 2 of 2 in Vulture conservation efforts in India, which has been running since 30 August 2026. Reading it whole is usually worth more than reading today alone — the exam asks how something developed.

• Vulture conservation in Dehradun Before
• The whole story 2 entries