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Patrick and Sarabi: a perfect pairing!

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Many of you already know Sarabi, our Lugger Falcon who joined us in 2019. Her species, found across the Indian subcontinent, faces serious pressures from pesticides and illegal trapping across their range. They are in need of conservation action, aligning with our mission to conserve birds of prey and their habitats. Sarabi has always been a bit of a character. For years she was timid, selective, and never quite settled into a regular flying-display role. Nevertheless, we do our best to work closely with our birds in a way that suits them best.

When I first started working with her in late 2022, she wasn’t too sure about me, especially during her routine health checks. Over time she began warming to me, as I spent more time around her, but she still wasn’t a big fan of the health checks we carry out regularly with all of our birds, so I knew we still had some way to go. As time passed and with more time spent together, I figured out routines that worked better for her. As a character she can be quite fickle, some days very calm and some not. So it’s been an important step for us working together to find a balance that works.

We had always hoped Sarabi would find a place within our flying display team of birds to showcase the amazing speed and agility of this member of the falcon family, utilising a swung lure as our means of demonstrating this. Initially, we weren’t sure how she would respond.  When we started our flight training together, I was essentially trying to develop a routine where she would be able to flourish and fully spread her wings (no pun intended), but I knew this was going to be challenging.  The challenge was whether she would be able to overcome any distractions, something that she struggled with initially when joining us, and allowing her to solely focus on the routine at hand.

I often say Sarabi is like a giant spinning game-show wheel, whatever the wheel lands on, is what Sarabi will do that day. As you can imagine, this could really vary! Some days she’d fly beautifully; others she’d perch, stare at me, and do absolutely nothing; sometimes she’d disappear off into the East Cholderton Valley, leaving me to wander the Hampshire countryside with telemetry in hand. And on plenty of occasions, she’d get distracted by the local corvid populations!

For some unknown reason, she also cannot stand our two Mediterranean Miniature Donkeys, Mickey and Molly. If she lands near their paddock, she’ll shout her head off at them as if they are the problem, even though she can simply fly away.

Another hurdle was getting her comfortable around visitors. In the early days, even a couple of people watching could unsettle her. This began a patient process of introducing her to small groups of people for her to become more confident, important not just for our flying displays, but also for her overall wellbeing. As her confidence grew, so did the number of people she was happy to fly in front of. I even remember some of the numbers of attendees by heart – 2 people, followed by 18, then 37, then even 108 at one stage! This was huge progress. Her Brilliant Bird Brains and Meadow Encounter flights during 2024 were hugely important, helping her gain even more confidence, fitness, and the lure-flying skills she’d need for bigger displays.

Progress was slow and steady, but we certainly had a eureka moment when she began flying in our World of Birds of Prey demonstration during the 2025 winter season. Something seemed to click. It’s almost as if everything suddenly started to make sense to her, and she had found the trust our relationship to feel confident enough to regularly fly in front of larger audiences without being phased. The pieces were starting to fall in to place…

Now, in early 2026, she feels like a completely different falcon. I’m happy to say she flies with confidence regularly in front of our audiences, showing off her speed and agility. Not only has her physical fitness and endurance increased tremendously, she has also become a very confident and competent flyer, learning all sorts of new tricks and tips to keep us in the Bird Team very much on our toes! The way she is able to just literally almost flip herself over mid-air to recommit to the attack as quickly as possible is honestly incredible to watch. Even on some occasions on recent days, she’ll turn herself around and almost fly back at you, upside down briefly! It’s hard to fully explain it in words, but when you see her in action and the conditions are in her favour, she definitely knows how to impress a crowd, that’s for certain. Watching her reminds me why Lugger Falcons are such extraordinary aerial hunters. Their long tails give them remarkable manoeuvrability—essential when chasing fast-moving prey like birds, small mammals, reptiles, and large insects. When she’s in the zone, she really does take your breath away.

I’m incredibly proud of how far Sarabi has come. I know I shouldn’t have favourites, but she’s without question mine. The journey hasn’t always been easy, but beneath the occasional stubbornness, she’s one of the sweetest birds I’ve ever worked with.

We are at the stage now where she is beginning to work alongside more of my colleagues on a regular basis. Even better, she’s now beginning to trust more members of the team, including Cedric and Hugo. For a bird who used to be so person‑specific, seeing her open up is a huge success in itself. With time, we’re hopeful she’ll feel comfortable working with everyone.

She’ll be celebrating her 7th birthday soon, and I can’t wait for you to see her fly during our demonstrations. She’s only getting fitter, smarter, and more confident, with a long flying career ahead of her.

Thanks, everyone.

Patrick – Hawk Conservancy Trust Bird Team Member

An update on the Asian Vulture Crisis

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After tens of millions of vultures in south Asia have died since the 1990’s from being poisoned by veterinary diclofenac in their food, progress to fix the problem is slow. Our Head of Conservation, Research and Education Dr Campbell Murn and colleagues from WWF Pakistan have co-authored a study about undercover pharmacy surveys that showed the use of vulture-toxic drugs is still, unfortunately, widespread.

New Insights into the South Asian Vulture Crisis: What Pharmacy Surveys Reveal About NSAID Use

A new article published in December has shed important light on the ongoing South Asian vulture crisis. Our Head of Conservation, Research and Education, Dr Campbell Murn and Senior Manager of Research and Conservation for WWF Pakistan, Jamshed Chaudhry, who partners on our Pakistan Vulture Recovery Project were co-authors on the study, which presents the most up-to-date analysis of veterinary non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) availability across the region. The study draws on undercover pharmacy surveys conducted between 2012 and 2024 across south Asia.

These surveys are a critical tool for conservation. By documenting which veterinary drugs are actually available and sold in the marketplace, researchers can assess how effectively bans on vulture-toxic drugs are being enforced and where potentially dangerous gaps remain. Below are the key headlines from the study.

Progress, but not full compliance

One of the most encouraging findings is that the availability of diclofenac, the drug primarily responsible for catastrophic vulture population declines in the 1990s and 2000s, has decreased substantially across South Asia. This decrease in diclofenac reflects years of advocacy, policy change, and awareness-raising.

Nonetheless, the picture is far from complete success. The study found that diclofenac is still being sold in some areas, accounting for up to 25% of NSAID sales in certain locations. Incomplete compliance with existing bans on veterinary diclofenac therefore continues to pose a serious threat to already fragile vulture populations.

Uneven adoption of vulture-safe alternatives

Meloxicam, a proven vulture-safe NSAID, emerged as the most commonly available drug overall and was especially dominant in Nepal. This preferred use of meloxicam shows that is possible to shift veterinary practice toward safer alternatives with effective regulation, combined with strong messaging around vulture safety, but it is not always as straightforward as that, with other factors proving further hurdles to progress in other areas.

Elsewhere in the region, meloxicam was far less dominant, suggesting that safer drugs are not yet the default choice in many markets.

Rapid change in Bangladesh following policy action

The situation in Bangladesh provides a powerful example of how quickly markets can respond to regulation. The study found that ketoprofen, known to be toxic to vultures, was the most prevalent NSAID in Bangladesh prior to 2023. Following the introduction of a national ban that year, ketoprofen use has declined sharply, falling to less than 1% of Bangladesh’s NSAID sales by 2024.

This rapid drop demonstrates that well-designed and enforced bans can have an immediate and measurable impact, but again, just because it can happen does not mean it will in every location.

A crowded and risk-strewn NSAID landscape

Across all surveyed countries, 14 different NSAIDs were recorded to be in circulation. Several of these drugs are known to be toxic to vultures, while others are suspected to be harmful but have not yet been adequately tested.

Of particular concern is the rapid rise in flunixin use, especially in Bangladesh. Flunixin is not banned in any vulture range country and has not been proven safe for vultures. The growing popularity of flunixin represents a significant emerging risk for vultures, potentially undermining progress made by reducing diclofenac and ketoprofen use.

What must happen next

The findings reinforce that the vulture crisis is no longer driven by a single drug, but by a complex and evolving landscape of pharmaceuticals. The authors highlight several ongoing conservation priorities:

  • Stronger enforcement of existing bans on vulture-toxic NSAIDs
  • Awareness campaigns targeting veterinarians, pharmacists, and livestock owners
  • Comprehensive safety testing of all veterinary NSAIDs used in the region
  • Regulatory reform, including requiring proof of vulture safety before new veterinary drugs are licensed

While the decline of diclofenac and the success of recent bans are reasons for cautious optimism, the study makes it clear that vigilance remains essential. Without proactive regulation and sustained monitoring, new drugs could continue to replace old threats, keeping South Asia’s vultures in grave danger.

The Hawk Conservancy Trust has been working to conserve vultures in this area since 1997, partnering with WWF Pakistan in 2004. We’re continuing our work in Pakistan, calling for a stronger drug regulation, safety testing of new drugs, and raising awareness of the devastating affects these medicines have on vultures. Conservation can’t be done in isolation, and with your support, we can continue being a force for positive change for vultures in south Asia.

Find out more about our work in this region, and how you can help us help these important species.

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