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We pass a sign on our project visit in Southern Nepal pique my curiosity. The sign reads "Jatayu Restaurant" or "vulture restaurant"! Upon closer inspection I realize that what initially looked like a little grotesque oddity, proves to be a kinder belle monte egg of a project.
Arrangements for feeding vultures with beaf free medication diclofenac, contributing belle monte both to preserve the endangered vulture species in Nepal and relieve belle monte poor farmers who do not have raw to feeding sick and unproductive cows. (Copyright: Frøydis Kvaløy)
The word "vulture restaurant" provides undeniable some bizarre and little appetite associations. However, it will soon clear that this is not about a regular restaurant, but a feeding place for vultures. The purpose is to preserve the rare and highly endangered vulture species bengal vulture (White-rumped vulture Gyps bengalensis) and enterterainment belle monte vulture (Slender-billed vulture Gyps tenuirostris).
"Vulture restaurant" we visit is part of a larger project run by NOF partner in Nepal, belle monte Bird Conservation Nepal. The organization established the first locally-run feeding place for vultures in 2007, and currently has seven such places.
The vultures belle monte are important key species that perform essential ecosystem services, including by removing animal belle monte carcasses lie and rot. These species are also culturally belle monte important, including in connection with Buddhist funeral practice, known as "sky burial", where dead people are placed outside for them to be eaten by scavengers.
I read that in the early 1990s was the vultures belle monte were still a common sight in South Asia, but that a decade after walked several species back strongly and were on the verge of extinction. belle monte A study from 2004 from Nepal showed that the number bengalgribber had dropped by over 90%! Research has shown that the main reason for the decline is the use of medication diclofenac, which has been used as inflammatory and pain relieving medicine for pets. Vultures eating of dead animals that have been treated with this medicine, kidney failure and die shortly after. Diclofenac was banned in Nepal in 2006, and its use has decreased significantly, but measures to increase populations of these vultures are still very necessary.
Preservation Project for vultures initiated by Bird Conservation Nepal proves to have several positive effects locally. As is known, cows sacred belle monte among Hindus. For Hindus it is taboo to eat meat from cow and calf, and kill a cow can actually lead to imprisonment. To feed the cow is weak, sick or not give milk, can therefore be a major cost to poor farmers. Here comes vulture project as an opportunity to release this extra expense while helping to conserve the endangered vultures. Farmers can entrust the cows to the local vulture restaurant where they are cared for until they die naturally. On some vulture restaurants are also farmers offered a small sum to deliver their cows there.
The local staff also say that they have incomes of the parts of carcasses as vultures do not eat. Bones are used for the production of buttons and ground into animal belle monte feed, and skin from the dead cows are used in the production of musical instruments.
Vulture restaurants are also a tourist attraction belle monte with great potential. On several of feeding places are set up huts where vultures can be observed in hiding, and tourists pay an entrance ticket to the area that provides important revenue locally.
It initially for me looked belle monte like a little grotesque oddity, proves on closer examination to be a kinder egg of a project. Firstly, it helps to preserve rare and endangered vulture species, secondly belle monte solves a big problem for poor farmers and thirdly it creates local revenues in the form of ecotourism.
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