Need for saving vulture population stressed

Experts have said the number of vultures, a natural cleaner, in Bangladesh is declining for eating the carcasses that contain the drug diclofenac.
 ‘Vultures eat the carcasses of livestock that have been administered veterinary diclofenac, and are poisoned by the accumulated chemical, as vultures do not have a particular enzyme in their bodies to break down diclofenac,’ Prof Dr Abdus Samad, Dean of the Veterinary faculty of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), said at a seminar recently.
Enam-ul-Haque, president of Bangladesh Bird Club, said over the last decade, it is scientifically proven beyond doubt that the use of diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, in animals, especially in cattle, has led to massive mortality and a sharp decline in vulture population.
The mechanism which causes the death is renal failure, a known side effect of diclofenac, he said.
Bangladesh has records of seven species of vultures. Of these seven species, white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis) and Slender-billed Vulture are found in Bangladesh. The white-rumped vulture was once widely seen in Bangladesh but now its population came down below 500. If the vulture goes extinct, it will be dangerous for the human health and environment also. Bangladesh government has banned diclofenac production for veterinary use in 2012. But diclofenac has found in 68 percent of the dispensaries in the country, added he.
A brand new meta-analysis reveals that the world's most popular painkiller is as dangerous as ill-fated Vioxx. Vioxx (refecoxib) was pulled from the American market in 2004, but not until 60,000 people had lost their lives from heart attacks and strokes as a deadly side effect of the drug.  Diclofenac is in the same category as Vioxx, representing nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) classified as COX-2 inhibitors.
The experts at the seminar observed that the loss of habitat and reduction in food availability have also been attributed to the decline in vulture population.  Now, it is critically endangered and facing high risk of extinction due to rapid population decline.
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) programme coordinator Dr Haseeb Md Irfanullah said: ‘Saving Asia’s critically endangered vultures from extinction; IUCN Bangladesh in close collaboration with Bangladesh Forest Department has taken an initiative on white-rumped vulture conservation in Bangladesh. The work formally began in March 2014 and is for two years.’ The experts also urged the veterinarians to stop prescribing diclofenac and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the domestic animals.
The seminar titled ‘Safe Drug and Vulture Conservation in Bangladesh’ was held at BAU on October 26. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and BAU jointly organized the seminar.

Need for saving vulture population stressed

Experts have said the number of vultures, a natural cleaner, in Bangladesh is declining for eating the carcasses that contain the drug diclofenac. Vultures eat the carcasses of livestock that have been administered veterinary diclofenac, and are poisoned by the accumulated chemical, as vultures do not have a particular enzyme in their bodies to break down diclofenac, Prof Dr Abdus Samad, Dean of the Veterinary faculty of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), said at a seminar recently. Enam-ul-Haque, president of Bangladesh Bird Club, said over the last decade, it is scientifically proven beyond doubt that the use of diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, in animals, especially in cattle, has led to massive mortality and a sharp decline in vulture population. The mechanism which causes the death is renal failure, a known side effect of diclofenac, he said. Bangladesh has records of seven species of vultures. Of these seven species, white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis) and Slender-billed Vulture are found in Bangladesh. The white-rumped vulture was once widely seen in Bangladesh but now its population came down below 500. If the vulture goes extinct, it will be dangerous for the human health and environment also. Bangladesh government has banned diclofenac production for veterinary use in 2012. But diclofenac has found in 68 percent of the dispensaries in the country, added he. A brand new meta-analysis reveals that the worlds most popular painkiller is as dangerous as ill-fated Vioxx. Vioxx (refecoxib) was pulled from the American market in 2004, but not until 60,000 people had lost their lives from heart attacks and strokes as a deadly side effect of the drug. Diclofenac is in the same category as Vioxx, representing nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) classified as COX-2 inhibitors. The experts at the seminar observed that the loss of habitat and reduction in food availability have also been attributed to the decline in vulture population. Now, it is critically endangered and facing high risk of extinction due to rapid population decline. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) programme coordinator Dr Haseeb Md Irfanullah said: Saving Asias critically endangered vultures from extinction; IUCN Bangladesh in close collaboration with Bangladesh Forest Department has taken an initiative on white-rumped vulture conservation in Bangladesh. The work formally began in March 2014 and is for two years. The experts also urged the veterinarians to stop prescribing diclofenac and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the domestic animals. The seminar titled Safe Drug and Vulture Conservation in Bangladesh was held at BAU on October 26. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and BAU jointly organized the seminar.