20 vultures die after feeding on drug-contaminated cattle carcasses in Assam

“Forest officials found 20 dead vultures while 52 were still alive. After treatment, 45 were able to fly away while the remaining were not fit enough,” the district commissioner said.

Twenty vultures were found dead in Assam’s Lakhimpur district on Saturday after they fed on cattle carcasses that contained high level of antibiotics .

The vultures fed on cattle carcasses which contained veterinary drugs having high level of antibiotics leading to their deaths. (Representative image)

Forest officials in the district said residents of Akhoiphutia village near Dhokuakhana reported sighting about 60 vultures, some appearing lifeless, on the bank of a river.

“Forest officials found 20 dead vultures while 52 were still alive. After treatment, 45 were able to fly away while the remaining were not fit enough,” district’s additional deputy commissioner DK Bora said.

Veterinarians said feeding on cattle carcasses near Akhoiphutia village killed the vultures. Cattle in the area had been vaccinated in the area following an outbreak of a bovine disease.

The carcasses had high dosages of antibiotics, a veterinarian said.

In 2015, feeding on carcasses containing veterinary drugs had killed 28 vultures in the area.