Nepal is witnessing a
remarkable recovery of the Critically Endangered White-rumped Vulture (Gyps
bengalensis), with its population increasing at a rate of 12.7% per annum since
2012, according to a new study published in Ibis.
The study found
exceptionally high annual survival rates of around 95% for adult and 96% for
immature White-rumped Vultures. Researchers attribute this recovery mainly to
the successful elimination of the veterinary drug diclofenac, which was
responsible for the catastrophic decline of vultures across South Asia during
the 1990s.
Vulture populations in
Nepal, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh declined between 20–50% annually during the crisis. Vultures
died after feeding on carcasses of livestock treated with diclofenac, which
causes severe kidney failure and death in the birds.
Nepal banned veterinary
diclofenac in 2006 and subsequently implemented extensive awareness, monitoring
and enforcement efforts involving government agencies, conservation partners,
veterinarians, livestock owners, pharmaceuticals and local communities. By
2012, diclofenac had ceased to be available in Nepal’s veterinary market,
marking a major turning point in the country's vulture conservation efforts.
Long-term monitoring has
also demonstrated strong breeding performance. Between 2007 and 2025, 6,410
vulture nests were monitored, with an average nesting success of around 69%.
Satellite tracking and demographic analysis further indicate that the
population increase is primarily the result of high survival and successful
reproduction within Nepal, rather than large-scale immigration from India.
Nepal subsequently became
home to South Asia’s first Vulture Safe Zone, bringing together safe veterinary
practices, habitat protection, population monitoring, community participation
and safe food sources. Initiatives such as Jatayu Restaurants, which provide
vultures with safe livestock carcasses, have further strengthened conservation
efforts.
Despite this encouraging
recovery, conservationists emphasize that Nepal’s White-rumped Vulture
population remains far below its pre-1990s level. Emerging veterinary drugs
also pose a continuing threat. Strict monitoring of NSAIDs available through
veterinary pharmacies and scientific safety testing of new veterinary drugs
will therefore be essential to prevent another crisis.
Nepal’s experience offers
hope for other South Asian countries where vulture populations remain
critically low. It demonstrates that coordinated, science-based conservation
can reverse even a catastrophic population decline but sustained vigilance and
action will be essential to keep vultures flying safely in Nepal’s skies.
Read the paper:
Mallord, J. W., Joshi, A.
B., Chaudhary, I. P., Thakur, D. C., Thapa, I., Bhusal, K. P., Rana, D. B.,
Dhakal, B. K., Galligan, T. H., & Green, R. E. (2026). Continued
population recovery and high annual survival rates of White-rumped Vultures in
Nepal. Ibis. https://doi.org/10.1111/ibi.70094
This story was originally
published on the Department of Zoology's website on 14 August 2026: https://www.zoo.cam.ac.uk/news/how-nepals-vultures-made-remarkable-recovery
