Experts Urge Immediate Ban on Toxic Veterinary Drugs to Protect Vulture Populations

Nawalparasi. Stakeholders have emphasized the immediate need to ban the use of toxic drugs employed in animal treatment for vulture conservation. Stakeholders expressed concern that the increasing use of toxic drugs is adding serious challenges to vulture conservation.

At the workshop on 'Vulture Safety and Toxic Drugs' organized by Bird Conservation Nepal, co-organized by Jatayu Restaurant, and in collaboration with the Veterinary Hospital and Animal Services Office Nawalpur, stakeholders urged against using medicines harmful to vultures during animal treatment.

Senior Veterinary Development Officer Dr. Sharmila Kumal from the Veterinary Hospital and Animal Services Office Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Susta East) informed that the pain-relieving drugs Diclofenac, Ketoprofen, and Nimesulide used in animal treatment are extremely harmful to vultures. She stated that studies have shown that vultures die from the effects of these drugs when they consume the carcass of an animal treated with them as food.

“As an alternative to these drugs, 'Meloxicam' is as effective as Diclofenac for livestock treatment and is considered safe for vultures,” Dr. Kumal said. “From the perspective of vulture conservation, it is necessary to stop the use of harmful drugs and use safe alternatives.”

Bhuapal Nepali, Project Officer at Bird Conservation Nepal, stated that there are currently an estimated 20,000 vultures in Nepal. According to him, 804 vulture nests have been identified across the country. “According to the statistics from 2024 and 2025, 174 vulture nests were found in Kapilvastu district and 157 in Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Susta East),” he said. “In the first phase of the 2026 survey in Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Susta East), 145 vulture nests were observed.”

DB Chaudhary, Chairman of Jatayu Restaurant, informed that among the nine species of vultures found in Nepal, the White-rumped Vulture, Indian Vulture, and Slender-billed Vulture are on the critically endangered list. He added that eight species of these vultures are found in Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Susta East).

Although the vulture population and nests have increased since the establishment of Jatayu Restaurant in 2066 BS for vulture conservation, Chairman Chaudhary of Jatayu Restaurant complained that challenges to conservation are increasing recently due to the use of toxic drugs and pesticides. According to him, pesticides used by farmers to kill animals directly affect the health of vultures.

“Studies have shown that vultures die due to kidney problems after consuming meat from animals killed using pesticides,” he said. “Incidents where 20 vultures died after consuming meat contaminated with pesticides in Kawasoti Municipality-3 and 11 of Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Susta East) have also been revealed.” Chaudhary stated that coordination and initiatives have begun with relevant bodies to ban the sale and distribution of medicines that affect vulture health and to ensure the use of safe alternative medicines in animal treatment.

The workshop discussed issues such as not feeding livestock and birds treated with toxic drugs to vultures for their conservation, not taking sick or untreated animals to the Jatayu Restaurant, ensuring the sale and distribution of pesticides under the supervision of technicians, and discouraging the use of such pesticides to kill animals.