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An ecological situation is presently unfolding crossed the rocky elevation ranges of the Sri Sathya Sai district, wherein the endangered Egyptian Vulture, which was erstwhile a prevalent show successful the skies of Rayalaseema, is present approaching the brink of section extinction, raising important concerns among wildlife experts and conservationists.
Known for its relation arsenic nature’s sanitation worker, the Egyptian Vulture has suffered a steep diminution crossed India implicit the past 2 decades. In the adust scrub forests and rugged cliffs adjacent Ratnagiri Fort successful Rolla Mandal of Sri Sathya Sai District, adjacent to the Karnataka border, researchers fearfulness the taxon whitethorn beryllium warring its past conflict for endurance successful the region.
The species, listed arsenic “endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and protected nether Schedule I of India’s Wildlife (Protection) Act, is being subjected to threats from situation destruction, electrocution connected high-tension powerfulness lines, shrinking nutrient sources, accidental poisoning, and increasing quality interference successful fragile elevation ecosystems.
Ratnagiri Fort, with its towering rocky escarpments and semi-arid terrain, has agelong provided perfect nesting conditions for vultures and different raptors. During 2015-16, the elevation scope attracted the attraction of wildlife scientists aft an Anantapur-based photographer, V. Jayachandra, documented Egyptian Vultures there. The sighting had past revived hopes that the taxon could inactive retrieve successful Rayalaseema’s drought-prone landscape.
Dr. V.V. Bala Subramanyam, Assistant Professor, Department of Zoology, Sri Krishnadevaraya University successful Anantapur, said that caller tract observations implicit the past 3 years person shown that sightings erstwhile again dropped sharply. He said that unchecked quarrying, reckless trekking adjacent nesting cliffs, and disturbances caused by expanding quality enactment person been steadily destroying the birds’ remaining refuge.
“Our survey was carried retired with the funds from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests. Though the task was chiefly connected the effects of windmills connected the way of migratory birds, we could ore connected the Egyptian Vulture situation arsenic a co-work, extensively covering the areas of Hindupur, Rolla, Roddam, and Penukonda areas of the combined Anantapur district,” helium said.
The researcher said that appeals were made to wildlife experts and authorities astatine the Centre and State level, calling for urgent intervention, including technological colonisation surveys, extortion of nesting micro-habitats, installation of vertebrate diverters connected hazardous powerfulness lines, and instauration of “vulture-safe feeding zones.” Due to paucity of funds, further probe could not beryllium carried retired connected the subject, helium said.
Dr. Bala Subramanyam stated that consciousness campaigns among farmers and shepherd communities person been recommended to forestall the poisoning of the Egyptian Vulture species. This poisoning is caused by the dumping of carcasses of livestock that dice owed to contamination of nutrient sources and excessive usage of veterinary drugs.
“Disappearance of vultures could make superior ecological consequences, including mediocre carcass disposal and accrued illness risks successful agrarian ecosystems,” helium said, adding that the Rayalaseema portion could inactive support the Egyptian Vulture species, contempt the fragile earthy practice surviving wrong its past hills.
