White Himalayan vulture spotted in Manang

White Himalayan vulture, enlisted by IUCN as an endangered species in 2017, is spotted in Manang district. Of the 23 different species of vultures found across the globe, nine species of them are found in Nepal, ornithologist Hem Sagar Baral said.

Except grey vulture, eight others are enlisted as the endangered ones in Nepal. Baral said that use of Diclofenac, NSAID and other drugs to be used to treat the animals are the main cause behind the extinction of the vultures. Known as nature’s scavenger, the vultures also play important role in keeping the environment clean by consuming carcasses.

The vultures are facing existential crisis around the world owing to human activities, and the past researches had shown that its population was on a gradual decline in the areas in and around Mustang. With the change in environment due to extended lockdown days, the vultures could have arrived here in search of food, the experts argue.

With the loss of their habitat, the number of vultures is also supposed to have decreased. However, the Himalayan vultures are found in a group of around 100 in the site, most probably in search of food.