The Jatayu and Sparrow Conservation Breeding Centre (JCBC), (Hindi: जटायु संरक्षण एवं प्रजनन केँद्र) is the world's largest facility for the breeding and conservation of Indian vultures (गिध) and the house sparrow (Passer domesticus, चिड़िया). It is located within the Bir Shikargah Wildlife Sanctuary in the town of Pinjore in the State of Haryana, India. It is run by the Haryana Forests Department and Bombay Natural History Society with the help of British nature conservation charity Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. It is 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from Pinjore and covers 5 acres (2.0 ha). Named after the mythical vulture Jatayu from the Hindu epic Ramayana, it was established in 2001 as Asia's first vulture breeding facility and focuses on the conservation of critically endangered species of vultures on the IUCN Red List. The centre's research confirmed that the use of the anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac in cattle was a critical factor in the decline of vulture populations. The Government of India banned the veterinary use of the drug in 2007–2008 as a result of research done at the centre. Although the house sparrow is of least concern globally, its numbers in India have been declining, especially in Punjab and Haryana. JCBC is conducting research on the causes of decline to formulate plans to reverse it. From Wikipedia
