34 endangered vultures bred in Pinjore get new home in Maharashtra
Thirty-four long-billed and white-rumped vultures were handed over to the Maharashtra forest department at Pinjore on the occasion of Earth Day, on Tuesday.
In a significant boost to India’s vulture conservation programme, 34 critically endangered vultures – 20 long-billed and 14 white-rumped – were successfully transferred from the Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre (JCBC) in Pinjore, to Maharashtra on Tuesday, coinciding with World Earth Day. The birds are destined for reintroduction into the wild across three key sites: Melghat, Pench, and Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserves.
The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), in a statement, said the birds were being transferred from the Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre in Pinjore to Maharashtra, where they will be reintroduced to the wild.
The transfer marks a significant step in reviving critically endangered vulture populations in central India.
According to the statement, vultures, aged between two to six years, were chosen following comprehensive health checks to ensure their fitness for release into the wild.
The birds were carefully distributed across all three locations to maintain ecological balance, support successful breeding in the wild and ensure a balanced sex ratio at each site, it said.
The vultures were transported in individual wooden boxes, one bird per box, to minimise stress and ensure safety during the journey, and they were fed two days in advance as per standard protocol.
The birds were moved in three air-conditioned tempo travellers to maintain optimal temperature and ventilation throughout the transit, it stated.
The team was led by Rundan Katkar, RFO, Kolsa, TATR, and supported by veterinarian Dr Mayank Barde from PTR, Manan Mahadev, senior biologist, BNHS, and two forest guards.
Chief Wildlife Wardens of Haryana and Maharashtra, Vivek Saxena and Srinivasa Rao and BNHS Director Kishor Rithe monitored and guided the entire operation.
The BNHS has set up the four Jatayu conservation breeding centres in the country, at Pinjore, Bhopal, Rajabhatkhawa (West Bengal) and Rani, Guwahati (Assam).
The Maharashtra forest department has set up three pre-release aviaries in three tiger reserves in Vidarbha to follow the protocol for soft release. The birds are expected to reach their respective aviaries in two days.
