Free-roaming dogs pose major threat to endangered vultures at Rajasthan carcass dumpsite, study reveals

Perennially free-ranging dogs are threatening migratory and resident vultures at a livestock carcass dumpsite in Rajasthan's Thar desert, according to a new study published in the journal Biological Conservation. The dumpsite sits on the outskirts of Bikaner in the northwestern corner of the Jorbeer Conservation Reserve. Every winter, large numbers of migratory Himalayan and Eurasian griffon vultures congregate there, alongside Egyptian vultures, steppe eagles, black ibises, cattle egrets, and wild pigs feeding on dead cattle, horses, camels, sheep, and goats. Researchers found that vultures spent about half as long on carcasses at the open Bikaner dumpsite compared to dog-free enclosures. Dog presence also altered feeding patterns by restricting vulture activity largely to the afternoon, whereas feeding was distributed more evenly across daylight hours without dogs. Canines consume large amounts of meat and chase away birds, reducing food availability and access. Co-author Abi T. Vanak of the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment stated that in Europe and Africa, managed feeding sites offer safe carrion, whereas traditional Indian dumps were never designed for vultures. India's vulture numbers previously plummeted by over 90 percent in the 1990s due to the veterinary drug diclofenac in livestock. The new paper cautions that dog presence at feeding sites hinders vulture recovery through direct competition and aggressive interference.

Context

Preserving scavenger species requires careful management of food sources and protected feeding zones to reduce direct conflict with other animals like feral dogs. Free-roaming dogs have impacted various wildlife species across India and globally through predation and competition.