Vulture Restaurant

The weather continues to disappoint us, so Scott and I took a trip down to the vulture conservation site, also known as a vulture restaurant. Basically it's a place for old or abandoned cows. They are free to roam and graze, and when the cows die the vultures can safely eat the carcasses without the possibility of ingesting the harmful drug Diclofenac.

This sign explains the vulture safe zone and is located at the village just before the cow pastures.

The trip took us about an hour on motorbike, with a few scary moments in between. The paved roads in Nepal are not well maintained, but they're better than being on rocks and mud. Unfortunately part of our journey included crossing a river, and going both up and down steep terrain. Luckily we arrived in one piece. Because of all the rain, the river was really high and we had to leave the bike behind. From here we walked the small path down to the gate.

Once in the cow area, we were lucky to see a few vultures circling, and then this beautiful site of a bunch of Hymilayian Griffons and a Red-headed vulture feeding:

Amazing. After they saw us, they flew off and waited on the ridge:

Here's a few cow carcasses..appealing? Our visit also involved some constructive criticism, such as removing old carcasses, otherwise bones will just about pile up everywhere.

This vulture safe zone relies on donations to continue maintenance. By raising money through parahawking we can help preserve this space. Some of the money we raise goes towards projects such as this. The people who maintain the site know this, and they were eager to talk to Scott and I about their hopes for the future of the project. We are hoping to build a wall around the cow area so that they can be better kept and looked after. Also, we are hoping to use a room in the school to do talks and presentations to the students and community about vulture conservation. Here's a photo of Ravi and Scott, clearly excited to be discussing the future!