Curry Boss In Bid To Save India's Vultures THE boss of an Archway curry house is helping spice up a new campaign to save India's vultures from extinction. Cyrus Todiwala MBE, who owns The Parsee, in Highgate Hill London and Café Spice Namaste, is helping promote the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) initiative - which aims to persuade the Indian government to ban the use of diclofenac. The livestock drug is used as an anti-inflammatory treatment for cattle and water buffalo - but poisons the vultures which eat the carcasses of treated animals. Mr Todiwala, who is a Zoroastrian Parsi, said: "These birds are perceived as scavengers but they play a vital role in environmental health by disposing of carcasses and reducing the risk of disease. For Parsis, the demise of the vulture would end a long established world faith custom." Diclofenac has killed many millions of vultures whose numbers 15 years ago were estimated to be between 20 and 40 million. Populations have now dropped by more than 97 per cent. Chris Bowden, who heads the RSPB's vulture conservation programme said: "Diclofenac is widely used in India and it could be many years before vultures are safe, even if the government were to ban it tomorrow. "The creation of a captive population of India's three vulture species is crucial to make sure each one continues to exist. We have two breeding centres and hope to establish four quickly to secure the future of all three species. Protecting vultures in the centres is as vital as persuading ministers to ban diclofenac. top