Vulture restaurants and their role in reducing diclofenac exposure in Asian vultures
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Published source details
Gilbert M., Watson R.T., Ahmed S., Asim M. & Johnson J.A. (2007) Vulture restaurants and their role in reducing diclofenac exposure in Asian vultures. Bird Conservation International, 17, 63-77.
Published source details Gilbert M., Watson R.T., Ahmed S., Asim M. & Johnson J.A. (2007) Vulture restaurants and their role in reducing diclofenac exposure in Asian vultures. Bird Conservation International, 17, 63-77.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Provide food for vultures to reduce mortality from diclofenac Action Link |
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Provide food for vultures to reduce mortality from diclofenac
A before-and-after trial in 2003-4 (Gilbert et al. 2007) found that daily mortality of oriental white-backed vultures Gyps bengalensis at a colony in Punjab province, Pakistan, was significantly lower during two periods when supplementary food (diclofenac-free donkey carcasses) was provided at a nearby ‘vulture restaurant’, compared to two control periods (0.072 birds/day dying over 111 days when food was provided vs. 0.387 birds/day over 116 days without food). Of the 30 dead vultures examined (eight from supplemented periods), 29 showed signs of diclofenac poisoning. Home range size of three radio-tagged vultures appeared to contract when they discovered the ‘restaurant’ (thus reducing the possibility of contact with diclofenac) but two further tagged vultures did not use the restaurant at all.
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