Importance of vulture conservation and sustainable development goal

摘要

This paper presents progress of vulture conservation towards Aichi Targets 1,8,12,14 and 20 through the conservation of critically endangered vultures in India.Under this conservation programme,a range of initiatives are being undertaken to protect vultures and their habitats including:using vultures as a flagship species to educate and promote awareness of the value(both intrinsic and to humans) of biodiversity(Target 1);profiling the vital role of vultures in nutrient cycling and pollution control(Target 8);conservation of vulture species in imminent danger of extinction(Target 12);safeguarding critical ecosystem services provided by healthy vulture populations(Target 14);and working with corporates,specifically Rio Tinto,to develop and implement the business case for supporting vulture conservation(Target 20).Vultures are critical part of the food chain in various ecosystems.By removing dead meat,they maintain a balanced ecosystem and prevent the spread of diseases.The dramatic crash in the Indian vulture populations is directly linked to animal husbandry practices,namely the use of the pain killer,diclophenac to treat cattle.