Daily Times

KARACHI: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Pakistan in collaboration with Baannhn Beli, a non-government organisation (NGO), have stressed the need to establish breeding zones to save endangered vulture species.

In this connection, both the oganisation organised an exposure visit of Nagarparkar mountaions – a hatching zone of vultures to raise awareness among civil society about the impact vultures made in the climate change.

Talking to Daily Times, IUCN National Rehabilitation Manager Nadeem Mirbahar urged the Sindh Wild Life, Forest and Livestock departments to establish rehabilitation and breeding centres to save nature.

A large number of women and men among Kamla, Mano, Shankar Lal, Jamal Khoso and others in village Mulji Jo Vandyo of Nagarparkar highlighted vultures’ role which feed on dead animals. They said the decrease in vulture population has augmented the vulnerabilities of fatal diseases in animal species. “They are rapidly dying and the increase in the number of feral dogs that fed n the dead animals are posing a grea threat to human beings with various infectious diseases.

Shankar Lal said, “Diclofencac is the not only the reason behind decrease in vulture population, as the climate change impact has also worsened the situation.”

A community woman Kamla Ghatiari emphasised on Wild Life Department and organisations concerned to immediately chalked out a recovery and rehabilitation plan as well as breeding centres of vulture species to save Tharparkar beauty and nature.

A volunteer Khan Mohammed Marri said that their nesting and breeding process starts from November to March. He said that the climate change adversely affect the environment and animal species in Thar.

Similarly, Nadeem said that in 2000, when drought hit Thar, hundreds of animals died and their carcasses remained lying in the open space due to decline in the vulture population, thus putting the villages Karoonjhar, Mithi at risk of catching epidemics.

However, when contacted, the Sindh government Wild Life Department Deputy Director Qazi Naeemullah said that the department is planning to establish recovery and rehabilitation centres along with breeding centres for conservation of vultures in collaboration with the organisations concerned.