The Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre in Haryana's Pinjore is one of the oldest of its kind in India. This year, it has on its hands a daunting task. The Centre is set to release 10 captive-bred Oriental white-backed vultures into the wild in 2023, reported News18.
Vultures have a slow breeding cycle. They have long incubation periods, laying only one egg per year.
The process of bringing these critically endangered birds back from the brink of extinction involved decades of hard work. Wildlife biologists raised and nurtured them in conservation centres. The end goal was to prepare them for their eventual journey back into the wild.
Following sustained efforts, the Pinjore centre has seen many new fledglings over the years. Nearly 345 vultures have been artificially hatched by scientists since the breeding programme began in 2008.
Another important aspect of the efforts has been the fight against diclofenac. This veterinary drug, used to treat domestic livestock, is toxic to vultures. The birds died from kidney failure within days of exposure to diclofenac-contaminated tissues. The medication has been banned for veterinary use in India since 2006.
The 10 birds to be released in winter will be closely monitored for at least a year. Researchers will use GPS tracking devices and satellite transmitters for this. They will look for behavioural changes to ensure they get accustomed to the wilderness again, and that there is no mortality due to diclofenac poisoning.
Dr Vibhu Prakash, who has been spearheading vulture conservation in India for over two decades, says that the goal is to eventually release as many as 100 pairs of each of the three critically endangered species of vultures. As efficient scavengers, vultures play a vital role in the ecosystem by keeping the environment clean and disease-free.
Dr Prakash and his team have led the conservation of 399 vultures, which are now housed at Bir Shikargaha Wildlife Sanctuary in the Shivalik Hills in Pinjore. At least 138 are Oriental white-backed vultures, 209 long-billed, and 52 slender-billed vultures. This is the largest collection of the three critically endangered gyps species of vultures in a single place in the world.
Scientists are also working to develop Vulture Safe Zones - areas where vulture populations would be closely monitored, and activities would be undertaken to ensure that domestic livestock carcasses that vultures feed on are not contaminated with drugs like diclofenac.
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