WWF Pakistan, for the second time in two consecutive years, successfully bred two chicks of the critically endangered oriental white-backed vulture in its vulture restoration centre in Changa Manga. The chicks, now over six weeks, are growing and developing after surviving the critical period of the initial four weeks after hatching.
WWF Pakistan Director General Hammad Naqi Khan expressed his pleasure on the successful breeding of the endangered species for the second time and congratulated the team involved in the project. “Last year our teams experienced success for the first time ever since the breeding programme was launched back in 2005. This led us to double our efforts this year and successfully bred two chicks indicating the high standards of husbandry and care protocols in place for these birds at the conservation centre. The addition of these chicks to the existing flock will contribute to achieving a viable population and will give this species a fighting chance to move out of the endangered species list,” he said.
WWF Pakistan launched the captive breeding programme in Changa Manga Forest Reserve in 2005 to enhance understanding of the vulture lifecycle. Land for the centre was provided by the Punjab wildlife and parks department with a seed grant from the environment agency of Abu Dhabi.
The Hawk Conservancy Trust (HCT) supported the construction of the aviaries and has regular extended financial and technical support to the conservation work. The facility currently houses 19 white-backed vultures: 15 adults, 2 juveniles, and 2 chicks. The chicks are being monitored and cared for by WWF Pakistan trained staff at the centre.
According to WWF Pakistan Wildlife Technical Advisor Dr Uzma Khan, the drastic decline in the vulture population is attributed to the use of diclofenac sodium, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), in livestock. Other harmful NSAIDs include ketoprofen, aceclofenac, and flunixin. In 2006, WWF Pakistan successfully lobbied the government of Pakistan to ban diclofenac sodium in Pakistan.
The population of the critically endangered Oriental white-backed vulture, Gyps bengalensis, has been on a decline and more than 90 per cent of its historic geographic range in Pakistan, India, and Nepal has been lost since the early ’90s.
