Death of 14 critically endangered vultures in Moulvibazar, Bangladesh

On April 10, 2023, 14 critically endangered vultures’ dead bodies were found in a paddy field in Barakapan village under Moulvibazar District, Bangladesh.

Researchers and officials of government and private organizations have entered the field to investigate the death of the endangered vulture in Moulvibazar. On Tuesday, they visited different places in the Barakapan field of the Katana Union of Sadar Upazila and collected information.

Meanwhile, Abu Naeem Md. Nurunnabi, the official of the forest department, submitted a statement to the Moulvibazar Sadar Model Police Station on April 10, 2023, as a plaintiff.

Harunur Rashid Chowdhury, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Moulvibazar Sadar Model Police Station, said they (Forest Department) have complained. Legal action begun, and Police went to the spot to investigate this cruelty.

According to the statement, on April 9, 2023, night, the divisional forest officer of the wildlife management and nature conservation department and the International Union of Nature Conservation Organizations (IUCN) came to know that several Bengal vultures were lying dead in the Barakapan field.

On April 10, 2023, morning around 8 am, the research team, including IUCN Bangladesh representative Mahi Wasim recovered 10 dead vultures from the scene.

Take the vulture to the animal husbandry office for an autopsy. The livestock office sent the necessary materials to Sylhet for autopsy. On April 12, 2023, a team of officials from the Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Department went to the spot again.

After searching there, they found three more dead Bengal vultures, fox skulls, dead foxes, four to five dead dogs, and two to three empty plastic containers of pesticides.

After talking with the local people, they learned that a fox had bitten and killed a pet goat of Rokon and Kachnu Mia of Barakapan village. They got angry and left the dead goat on the spot with poison. It appears initially that vultures, dogs, and foxes have died.

According to IUCN, the Department of Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation, and local sources, an IUCN satellite tag was attached to the body of a vulture to monitor its movements.

The IUCN research team monitored the vulture’s movements daily. But the vulture was in the same place for a few days; they were not receiving signals. While investigating the reason for this persistence, the death of the vulture was discovered. The IUCN identified the location of the vulture on April 9, 2023.

Accordingly, the next day, the Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Department and the research team of IUCN recovered 10 dead bodies of vultures and the remains of 1 vulture from the identified site.

Meanwhile, officials and researchers from the Department of Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation, Department of Livestock, and IUCN visited the site on April 9, 2023, to get information about the death of vultures and other animals.

Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, Divisional Forest Officer of Wild Animal Management and Nature Conservation Department, Sylhet, said that the dead dogs and foxes were buried in the ground last night so that no more animals would die.

The Imams in the mosques of the concerned areas have been asked to request people not to give poison during the prayer to make people aware.

Also, miking will be done in the area to increase awareness. Meanwhile, officials and researchers from the Department of Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation, Department of Livestock and IUCN visited the site on April 9, 2023, to get information about the death of vultures and other animals.

Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, Divisional Forest Officer of Wild Animal Management and Nature Conservation Department, Sylhet, said that the dead dogs and foxes were buried in the ground last night so that no more animals would die.

In order to make people aware, the imams in the mosques of the concerned areas have been asked to ask people not to give poison during the prayer. Apart from this, miking will be done in the area to increase awareness.