Many species of vultures were awarded the highest protection by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals
- Four of those species have India on their migratory routes
- The whale shark that inhabits the Indian Ocean, got global protection too
- The convention which was held in Manila concluded with approvals for protection of 34 species in submissions made by 24 countries from Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe and Oceania.
- The Asian vultures that are set to get collaborative international protection are the red-headed vulture, white-rumped vulture, Indian vulture and slender-billed vulture.
- These birds face threats of poisoning, hunting, collision with electricity cables and habitat degradation.
- Proposals for the conservation of the blue shark and common guitarfish have also been accepted.
- The Caspian seal which is the only marine mammal found in the world’s largest inland sea, where its migration is prompted by ice formation and foraging, has also been identified for conservation.
