- Vulture restaurant
- More birds: Short eared Owl & Houbura Bustard
- Mangar forest NCZ
- Rainbow warrior 3
Vulture restaurant
- Vulture is a scavenger bird that feeds on dead carcasses
- But farmers use diclofenac drug for cattle,which is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)
- Vultures eat such dead cattle => its kidney fails due to diclofenac => IUCN status: Critically Endangered
- Therefore activists have started Vulture restaurants in Africa, India, Pakistan and Nepal.
- Farmers send dead cattle, staff examines then carcass left in open field for vultures.
- This is an example of in-situ conservation. (Ex-situ conservation example would be = put vultures in Cage then feed them carcass.)
- Similar restaurants even Tasmanian Devil by Australia. (IUCN Endangered)
Why in news? Because Gadchiroli forest department also started a vulture restaurant.
More birds: Short eared Owl & Houbura Bustard
Short eared owl
- IUCN Status: Least Concern.
- It has fluffy feathers on head that look like “ears”, hence the name.
- Hunt by day and night. Other owls don’t.
- Crepuscular: active during twilight.
- Unlike other owl species, short-eared owls hunt by night and day
- Found in grasslands, wetlands of most continents.
- Threat: ground nest = dogs, fox etc.
Houbara Bustard
- IUCN status – Vulnerable
- Mind it: Great Indian Bustard = Critically Endangered while Houbara is just “vulnerable”.
- Habitat: arid, semi-desert. In Western India, Pak and Afghanistan.
- Threat: Men hunt them as “Game” in W.Asia. Its meat considered an aphrodisiac (Sex tonic). Recently a Saudi prince alone killed ~2000 of them within ~20 days’ vacation
Mangar forest NCZ
- Mangar Forest: Last Natural forest near Delhi. Just 50 kms
- Mangar Bani forest grove = considered sacred by local Gujjars.
- Only forest in Haryana that has Dhau trees.
Timeline / Sequence of Events
- 2005: The National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) declared it as natural conservation zone (NCZ), prohibiting construction and tourism.
- 2012: revised guidelines to allow tourism, parks and resorts construction.
- 2014: PMO asked NCRPB to take approval from MoEF before moving ahead with this new plan.
Why protect Mangar forest?
- recently Black eagle spotted. only once in last 100 years.
- Dhak trees only found here in the entire Haryana.
- Ground water recharge for Gurgaon and Faidabad
- Habitat for leopards coming from Sariska, Rajasthan.
- Buffer for Asola sanctuary. (this is the only wildlife sanctuary under Delhi Government.). Mind it: Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary belongs to Haryana government.
Rainbow warrior 3
- Arctic has 13% of world’s oil and 30% of gas. But until now, thick ice cover=difficult to extract.
- Global warming= ice became thin, Russian PSU “Gazprom” began drilling oil in Barents Sea in Arctic region.
- April 2014, Gazprom sent first shipment of this artic oil to Netherland.
- Greenpeace NGO sent a ship “Rainbow warrior III” to create “rastaa roko” against Russian ship. They tried to stop Russain ship from unloading oil at Rotterdam port.
- But Netherland police has arrested Greenpeace activists, hence in news.
Greenpeace argument:
- Arctic ecosystem too fragile, hence offshore oil drilling bad. But Putin gave permission to Gazprome without any EIA.
- Europe should not buy oil from Russia, because it strengthens Putin’s hand, he uses the money to destabilize the region (Ukraine).
Mock MCQs
Q. Find Incorrect statements
- There are no sacred groves in Aravalli hills.
- There are no wildlife sanctuaries under Delhi Government.
- Both A and B
- Neither A no B
Q. Which of the following is/are examples of in-situ conservation?
- Government sets up vulture restaurants.
- Government sets up captive breeding facilities for vultures.
- Both A and B
- Neither A nor B
Q. Which of the following will help in Vulture conservation program?
- Ban meloxicam and diclofenac.
- Vasectomy program for feral dogs.
- Ban the burial of dead animals
Correct choices
- Only 1 and 2
- Only 1 and 3
- Only 2 and 3
- Only 3
A-4
B-1
C-2
you are simply amazing………….
D,A,B
There are no wildlife sanctuaries under Delhi Government.—Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary.
so, 1 – C
in last que ans may be only 3