Pokhara—The 9th International Vulture Awareness Day has been marked with a vultures’ photo exhibition and school level art competition in Pokhara on Saturday. The exhibition was followed by the pictures of endangered vultures and the competition organized by Pokhara Bird Society (PBS).
A total of 40 photographs of eight spices of vultures were exhibited in the event. The exhibition covers the vultures’ activities, their importance, cause of their disappearance and possible effort for their protection. There are 33 spices of vultures in existence in the world and 9 of them are available in Nepal. Most of the pictures in exhibition were taken by photo journalist and Annapurna Post National Daily’s reporter Krishna Mani Baral who has been working in the sector of vulture conservation for more than a decade in Nepal. Likewise, the pictures of photo journalist Ram Gurung, PBS chairman Man Shanta Ghimire and secretary Hemanta Dhakal. According to secretary Dhakal, the exhibition was observed by some 300 visitors who were students, guardians, representatives of Civil Society and entrepreneurs.
On the occasion of the awareness, a conservation march also is to be organized in Pokhara, informed PBS Chairman Ghimire. Vultures are known as the cleaners of the nature as they consume carcasses and help to minimize the outbreak of diseases. According to journalist Baral, people’s participation to create awareness for the conservation of disappearing vultures is the key motto of the exhibition that was inaugurated by National Tourism Council member Basu Dev Tripathi. Nepal Tourism Board Pokhara Chief Uday Bhattarai also expressed his remarks during the opening ceremony of the exhibition.
Experts say that the number of vultures has gone down by 90 percent within the period of two decades. The major cause behind the extinction of the vulture is the Diclofenac that used to be applied to cure ill animals and vultures faced death as they consumed the carcasses of animal treated by that medicine. But later, since 2063 BS, the Nepal Government banned that medicine which was replaced by Meloxicam.
Pictures: Krishna Mani Baral
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