15 vulture species set to get global protection

 New Delhi, Sept 24: Fifteen species of vultures in 128 countries, including four that are critically endangered in India, may get a fresh lease of life with a 12-year multi-species coordited action plan to conserve African-Eurasian vultures set to take wing at a UN summit next month, conservationists say.

The Intertiol Union for Conservation of ture (IUCN) Red List of species threatened with extinction has listed a majority of these vulture species as critically endangered, indicating a very high risk of extinction in the wild.
The Indian vultures that are set to get collaborative intertiol protection under the Multi-Species Action Plan to Conserve African-Eurasian Vultures are four critically endangered vulture species — the red-headed, white-rumped, long-billed and slender-billed; two near threatened species — bearded and Himalayan griffon; and one endangered — the Egyptian vulture.
The cinereous vulture, a wintering migrant to India from Europe, is also facing the threat of extinction. The other species are: white-headed, hooded, white-backed, cape griffon, Rüppell’s griffon, Eurasian griffon and lappet-faced vultures. Most of these species are found in Africa. While the Eurasian griffon vulture is found in Europe and Asia, the lappet-faced vulture is home to the Middle East.
Vulture are ture’s garbage disposers, feeding on the carcasses of dead animals that are often infected with diseases such as anthrax, cholera, botulinum toxin and rabies that would be lethal to other scavengers. (IANS)

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