Conservation efforts soar as Jatayu initiative releases endangered vultures across India
File pic
A Journey that tells the story of how birds travel—a vulture fitted with a satellite tag at Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve has reached Tamil Nadu. Before reaching Tamil Nadu, the vulture travelled from Maharashtra to Chhattisgarh, then Gujarat, back to Maharashtra, and finally to Tamil Nadu via Karnataka.
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Talking to mid-day, BNHS Director Kishor Rithe said, “A white-rumped vulture, satellite-tagged (N11) at Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve in August this year, has travelled over 4,000 km to reach Tamil Nadu. The vulture moved from Maharashtra to Chhattisgarh, then Gujarat returned to Maharashtra, and finally travelled to Tamil Nadu via Karnataka.”
When asked why the bird might have taken such a route, Rithe explained, “Sub-adult birds are very inquisitive and curious, often exploring more. It frequently happens with captive-bred birds that they take time to learn to stop for feeding during long flights.”
During its journey from Tadoba to Gujarat via Chhattisgarh, the vulture had to be captured and treated twice as it appeared weak and unwell. However, after its release from Gujarat, the vulture successfully completed its journey to Tamil Nadu without any further issues.
In a boost to India’s Jatayu (vulture) conservation initiative, the Forest Department of Maharashtra and Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) GPS-tagged 10 endangered long-billed vultures. These birds were brought from the Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre in Pinjore, Haryana, and housed in a pre-release aviary at Pench Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra.
They were released into pre-release aviaries in Pench Tiger Reserve and Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, both of which had constructed special aviaries to host the birds.
The Jatayu Conservation Project was launched in Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve on January 21, 2024, by the then Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar.
The initiative, in collaboration with BNHS, aims to re-establish populations of critically endangered vultures in the area. Between 1990 and 2006, the vulture population in India saw a sharp decline due to the use of the NSAID drug Diclofenac, which caused fatalities when ingested via cattle carcasses. The drug was eventually banned for veterinary use in 2006 as part of the Union Ministry of Environment’s Vulture Action Plan.
Since then, conservation efforts through breeding programs have revived vulture populations at centres in Haryana, Assam, MP, and Bengal. The recent release of 10 white-backed vultures and 10 long-billed vultures in Tadoba and Pench marks a significant step in India’s vulture conservation journey.
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