Understanding the disappearance of Egyptian Vulture in Tamil Nadu

The Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus), once common across Southern India, has become locally extinct in The Nilgiris and no longer breeds in Tamil Nadu, with fewer than 150 resident individuals estimated across Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Globally listed as Endangered by IUCN, its decline is attributed to veterinary NSAIDs like diclofenac, electrocution, poisoning, habitat disturbance, and changes in traditional livestock rearing. While Karnataka holds the most significant remaining breeding populations, Tamil Nadu serves as a wintering habitat for migratory birds. Conservationists are urging for coordinated efforts, including the establishment of an Egyptian Vulture Conservation Breeding Programme in Tamil Nadu, building on successful models by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) for other vulture species.