s m satheesan, senior programme officer, forest and wildlife conservation division of the World Wide Fund for Nature ( wwf ) said that the primary reason for the decline in vulture populations in India is pesticide poisoning. He was delivering a talk at the India Habitat Centre in Delhi on "Save Vultures, Your Time Starts Now'.

Satheesan urged all species of vultures be included in Schedule 1 of the wildlife protection act. According to him, one way to save the vultures could be by providing artificial perches and nest sites.

He said another reason for the decline in the population of vultures is the non-availability of carrion because of the flourishing meat industry. "This business has caused a severe shortage of food for vultures,' Satheesan said.

He suggested that vulture restaurants or feeding stations be established, especially in their natural habitats such as forested areas and inside protected areas away from air-fields.