The decline in the vulture population in the Indian subcontinent was linked to the use of which drug on livestock?

Correct Option

The correct option is (b).

Explanation

The catastrophic decline of vulture populations, particularly the Gyps species, in the Indian subcontinent was a major ecological crisis identified in the 1990s. Extensive research established that the collapse was caused by the bioaccumulation of a specific pharmaceutical drug used in livestock management.

Option Analysis

• Option (b) is correct: Diclofenac is a Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) widely administered to cattle to treat inflammation and pain. When vultures feed on the carcasses of livestock treated with Diclofenac shortly before death, they ingest the drug. Vultures lack the metabolic enzyme to break down Diclofenac, leading to renal failure (kidney failure) and visceral gout, which results in death. This link led to the ban on veterinary Diclofenac in India in 2006.
• Options (a), (c), and (d) are incorrect: Penicillin is an antibiotic, while Aspirin and Ibuprofen are other types of NSAIDs or analgesics. While various drugs can have environmental side effects, they were not the specific cause of the massive vulture population crash observed in South Asia.

Key Takeaway: The veterinary use of Diclofenac is lethal to vultures, causing kidney failure; it has been replaced by the vulture-safe alternative, Meloxicam.