Faculty of Veterinary Science
Department of Paraclinical Sciences (Veterinary)
Selected Highlights from Research Findings
Three species of vultures endemic to South Asia, Oriental white-backed vulture (Gyps bengalensis), long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus) and slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris), are in grave danger of extinction across the Indian subcontinent. The major factor responsible is likely to be diclofenac, a veterinary non-steroidal anti -inflammatory drug (NSAID) commonly available in India and highly toxic to Gyps vultures: exposure to diclofenac occurs through vultures consuming carcasses of livestock that were treated with the drug before death. The African white-backed vulture (Gyps africanus) has been shown to be equally or more sensitive to the toxic effects of diclofenac and is being used as a surrogate species for the Indian vultures for research. An alternative drug which is non-toxic for our vultures has been identified and may be the solution to the problem. The study is funded and conducted in collaboration with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
Contact person: Prof CME McCrindle.
Cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury and copper are heavy metals known to contaminate the environment as a result of mining and refining activities. Animal tissues can be used as an indicator of environmental pollution, as the heavy metals and their salts can be taken up in water and herbage, as well as through ingestion of soil and inhalation of dust. The concentration of the metals and their salts is also of importance to food safety, as they may remain as residues in food of animal origin destined for consumption by humans. They may also be accumulated in the food chain and so influence the ecology and ecosystems in which they occur. Analysis of tissues from free-ranging herbivores, such as impala (Aepyceros melampus), was used for establishing a base-line of the mineral status of animals that can be used as an indicator of environmental pollution.
Contact person: Prof CME McCrindle.
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