Drug Banned in Asia 'Diclofenac' Poisons Rare European Vultures

A vulture's death in Spain was confirmed to be caused by a newly approved veterinary drug. The event, according to conservationists, could be the tip of an iceberg, and the opioid could wipe out dozens of Europe's vultures while also affecting similar animals such as golden eagles.

Banned Drug

After it was discovered that diclofenac killed vultures that consumed cattle carcasses treated with the drug, it was outlawed in India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Hundreds of millions of vultures are thought to have died due to this, with some birds dwindling by 99.9% in areas of South Asia.

Despite this, diclofenac was accepted in Spain and other European countries because producers, drug makers, and regulators claimed that cattle carcasses in Europe were handled differently than in India. Vultures will be unable to consume meat contaminated with diclofenac as a result of this.

Disporving Harmful Claims

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds' John Mallord said, "The argument has now been proven to be false." "Diclofenac poisoning was reported in a young cinereous vulture in the Boumort National Hunting Reserve in Spain."

"The claim has now been proved to be unfounded," said John Mallord of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. "A young cinereous vulture was found with diclofenac poisoning in the Boumort National Hunting Reserve in Spain."

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European Vultures

Vultures come in four varieties in Europe: bearded, cinereous, Egyptian, and griffon. According to recent studies, diclofenac is also lethal to eagles belonging to the family Aquila, which includes the golden eagle and the Spanish imperial eagle. There are only around 300 imperial Spanish eagle pairs left in the world.

Diclofenac Poisoning Birds

"The data discovered in Spain supports what we have been alert of for almost a decade," said Iván Ramrez of BirdLife International. "Veterinary diclofenac contamination is killing vultures, and this could also be changing population levels. It's ridiculous to keep relying on licensing a medicine that destroys endangered animals while Europe has plenty of other safe and affordable alternatives."

Long-billed, slender-billed, and oriental white-rumped vultures were among the vulture populations most influenced by the introduction of diclofenac in the late twentieth century in south Asia. With a population of millions of birds, the white-rumped was once considered the most common large bird of prey. Their numbers had fallen to about 10,000 by 2016.

And these catastrophic declines have far-reaching ecological consequences. Vultures were not allowed to eat the flesh of dead cattle in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. According to health experts, the chance of rabies has increased due to the increase in wild dog packs to fill the ecological void. Similarly, crow numbers grew, increasing the risk of diseases spreading from them to poultry and humans.

Decline in Population

Mallord said, "The vast majority of Europe's vultures are present in Spain." "We were informed that diclofenac posed no risk to them. We now have conclusive proof that this is not the case. Given that there are perfectly fine, healthy alternatives to the medication that could be used on animals, diclofenac's veterinary use in Europe should be banned as soon as possible," he said.

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