Survey shows vultures soaring high in Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI: A synchronised vulture survey conducted by the Forest departments of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka has revealed that the vulture population in Tamil Nadu has recorded a steady increase, from 100 in 2022-23 to 157 in 2024-25.

The survey report showed the buzzard population has increased to 390 from 320 in the Nilgiris biosphere reserve that covers 5,520 sq km across three states.

The survey, conducted on February 27 and 28, covered 106 vantage points across the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, and Nellai Forest Division in TN, and the Wayanad Landscape, Nagarhole Tiger Reserve, and Bandipur Tiger reserve in Kerala and Karnataka.

In 2023-24, the vulture population was estimated at 150 in TN.

The survey found four species of vultures in Tamil Nadu. The most abundant White-rumped Vulture (110), followed by the Long-billed vulture (31), Red-headed vulture (11), and the Egyptian vulture (5), categorised as 'endangered' by IUCN. The first three species are under the 'critically endangered' category.

The nest count data showed more active nesting in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, followed by Bandipur Tiger Reserve. The majority of nests were found to be of the White-rumped vulture.

Attributing the flourishing vulture population to continuous conservation efforts, including monitoring of nesting sites, assessing human-vulture interactions, and deploying camera traps for better population estimation, state Forest department secretary Supriya Sahu expressed, "The game changer was the effective ban on Diclofenac, a veterinary drug that caused large-scale deaths of vultures, and setting up the vulture conservation committee."

She added that with 104 convictions, TN has taken the lead in the effective enforcement of violations. Most recently, licences of five pharma stores were suspended for violating Nimesulide ban, she said.