VULTURE CONSERVATION AND COTTON TREE

 The cotton tree or local name in Nepal is simal and has been considered one of the key trees for conserving vulture and stork species. The tree is called Bombax ceiba in scientific name. It prefers hot tropical to sub-tropical climates. Farmers in the Terai are cutting these trees thinking unusefulness.

 Superstitious Aspects

Local people of Hindu belief suppose a vulture flying just above the house invites bad omens. We have so many examples in the community offering Rudri pooja after a vulture crossing a house while flying.
This is noted here to mention the local aspect of a vulture. This has been directly linked to the tall trees of vulture habitats.
These thoughts should be eliminated from the communities. Conservation organisations can spread vulture awareness among the people. Jatayu in the Ramayan epic is considered a vulture who was killed by the Ravana, the powerful demon King of Lanka, today's Srilanka.
The protection formula can be applied by giving the name "Jatayu". follower of righteousness just as it does in nature.


Positive Aspect of Traditional Belief

If a vulture is chased while it is feeding on a dead animal, the person would get misfortune instantly. So people never disturb vultures while they are busy feeding on dead bodies.

 Human Flesh Eating

It is also believed that a baby vulture can not fly until it is not fed on human flesh. So mother vulture would get human flesh flying far from the places near the river. They even fly to the cremation ground where Tibetian perform the last rites of a dead body. They feed vultures on dead bodies cutting them into pieces. The same culture is also in the Bahai religion.

We are just talking all about vultures and so are very much connected to our culture and belief.
                                     
 
      
 How to preserve Vultures in Nepal?

The total number of different vultures found in Nepal is 2312 as per the census conducted in 2021. The number is growing and at the same time, there is a grave challenge to save them. They are cleaners of nature in a true sense and while saying this we have lost nearly six dozen of them at the same spot  in Nawalparasi, Nepal

This happened while a poisonous dead dog Caracas was eaten by those vultures. This was sad news among the conservationists. Poisoning is a devastating reason for the declining vultures' number. Rat poisoning is another question for the decreasing population of raptors in the Indian sub-continental region.

Cotton trees adopt many birds'  like open-billed Stork, Lesser adjutant Stork, egrets and cormorants. These birds make nests in these trees because of their physical height quality.

Cotton trees give these birds security and openness to the surroundings while others don't in comparison. The spike-like thorns in the tree are another plus point for the birds to rear the hatchlings safely from the predators like squirrels, civets and other enemies.

Cotton trees have a key role to conserve biological diversity balance in nature. It creates greater benefits to nature than other trees. If cotton trees are being eliminated day to day from our surroundings,it is clear that the number of the vultures, and other depended species will have no more breeding colony remained and eventually the declining number of vultures and so on.

What is the role of Government? 

The government can do lots of things that can be the turning points for vulture and stork conservation. Government can give special benefits to the locals for keeping the tall simal trees in their private land. It is necessary to monitor them correctly and keep the records exactly according to GPS location.

Vulture feeding site; Vulture Restaurant is another better option to conserve vultures. Conservation organisations can play a productive role in this purpose.     

Baninng the diclofenac for Animal Treatment

It is also the government's hand at the upper while banning such medicines while treating the sick animal. It has been proved that diclofanac brings the number down while feeding on caracas treated with diclofanac medicines.Many governments have circulated zero diclofenac policy across the country.This is not 'An enough to do things'.Concerned mechanism must  check in the vet to be sure whether it is being sold or not.

Question of Transboundary Trafficking of Cattle

Cattle like cows,oxen are trafficked from Nepal to India and Bangladesh for beef purpose.No animals get oppurtunity to die at their natural death.This is the context of Nepal.Vultures have not enough sources of food chain.They have already lost it.  Conservation organasations can play a pivotal role to minimise illigal trafficking of these cattle coordinating with the government.They can give some allowance to the cattle owners so that  may they turn themselves into old cattle friendly.Old cattle might have not been  burden to them.After natural death they could be  a better source of food supply to the hungry vultures at thire feeding site.Feeding sites must be chosen.conservation cadres must be responsible to carry out  the dead animals to the feeding ground.

If this is done then the future of vultures can be secured and so is of nature.

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