A cattle drug that has played a deadly role in critically endangering the wild vulture population remains on the market four years after its production was banned by the government.
A study conducted by the forestry department and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) found diclofenac, a painkiller administered to cattle, available in 24% of 200 pharmacies sampled.
Diclofenac sold under the FNF and Chemist brands were the most widely available forms of the prohibited drug, according to the study.
Ketoprofen, a substitute for diclofenac which is also lethal for vultures, was found in 40% of the sampled drug stores.
Experts, including leading vulture specialist Professor Monirul H Khan, suggest that ketoprofen also be banned. He suggests the use of meloxicam as a substitute painkiller even though it is costlier.
The IUCN says the vulture population in the Indian sub-continent has plummeted from 40 million birds to a current population estimated to be below 10,000 representing a 99.9% drop in just 20 years.
Bangladesh has fewer than 500 vultures. Of the three indigenous species of the vulture, the country has already lost 2 species – the Slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris) and the Red-headed vulture (Sarcogypscalvus).
The White-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis) locally known as ‘Bangla Shokun’ can still be found here but is listed by the IUCN as a critically endangered species.
The main reason for the catastrophic decline of the vulture population is the use of diclofenac and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as painkillers to treat livestock across Asia.
In October 2010, the government banned the production of diclofenac for cattle because it causes kidney damage in vultures.
A single contaminated carcass can cause the death of a whole flock of vultures. Scientists estimate that a 30 millilitre vial of diclofenac is enough to kill 500 vultures.
The effects of diclofenac on vultures are renal failure, drooping posture and loss of flight because vultures do not have the enzyme needed to metabolise the drug.
The IUCN says its survey was carried out in more than 200 local drug stores in greater Sylhet, greater Mymensingh and greater Khulna.
Twenty-five different veterinary painkillers made by 18 different companies were found on sale in the course of the study.
Producers of the drug included 13 Bangladeshi companies, 3 Indian and two Korean manufacturers.
The survey team found the banned drug in Trishal (Mymensingh), Taraganj (Rangpur) and Syedpur (Nilphamary), Modhupur (Tangail), Khulna Sadar (Khulna), Navaron (Jessore), Sharsha (Jessore) and Benapole (Jessore).
The highest number of diclofenac sellers were found in Jessore.
Vultures play an important ecological role not only as scavengers but also as natural cleaners. They minimize outbreaks of diseases like anthrax and rabies.
The Bangladesh National Vulture Recovery Committee headed by an additional secretary of the Environment and Forest Ministry recently decided to demarcate greater Sylhet and Khulna as Vulture Safe Zones.
The total area of the Vulture Safe Zones in greater Sylhet and Khulna will be 19,663 and 27,717 square kilometres respectively.
