In Nepal, 69 vultures, including endangered and near threatened species, die from eating poisoned dog carcasses
Some of the 69 dead vultures. Photo: BCN/ Dev Bahadur Rana
The site of the vultures' death. Photo: BCN/ Dev Bahadur Rana
In a shocking and tragic incident, 69 vultures have died of inadvertent poisoning in Nepal on April 24. The deaths occurred in the farmlands of the terai where villagers had used poisoned bait to kill stray dogs. These carcasses were then eaten by vultures who succumbed to the poison.
As many as 35 white-rumped vultures, one slender-billed vulture (both critically endangered species), 31 Himalayan griffons and two cinereous vultures (classified as near threatened) succumbed to the poison. One Himalayan griffon is still alive and under treatment. All the birds were wild ones and not released birds from the nearby vulture release site.