Mon Feb 03 12:53:49 UTC 2025: ## Street Theatre Raises Awareness of Vulture-Endangering Drugs in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve
**ERODE, February 3, 2025** – A series of street theatre performances were conducted from January 27th to February 1st within the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) to raise public awareness about veterinary drugs harmful to vultures. Organized by the NGO Arulagam, the campaign targeted veterinarians, pharmacists, cattle keepers, dairy societies, and the general public.
The performances highlighted the dangers of nimesulide, a drug banned for veterinary use by the Central Government following research confirming its harmful effects on vultures, a keystone species. While already banned for use in children under 12 since 2011, the campaign stressed the importance of completely eliminating its veterinary use. Other threats to vultures, such as illegal electric fences, carcass poisoning, and forest fires, were also addressed.
Arulagam secretary S. Bharathidasan emphasized the vital role of public participation in vulture conservation. He stressed the importance of grassroots information dissemination and urged veterinarians to avoid using banned drugs like diclofenac, ketoprofen, aceclofenac, and nimesulide, and pharmacists to refrain from selling them. The performances, featuring artists Ponraj, Kudalarasan, Udayashankar, Brinda, and Durga, utilized songs, plays, and mimicry to engage audiences across various villages.
First Piper 