Overview
- The Bombay Natural History Society has transferred 34 critically endangered vultures—20 long-billed and 14 white-rumped—from the Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre in Haryana to Maharashtra.
- The birds, aged between two to six years, were selected after thorough health checks to ensure their fitness for eventual release into the wild.
- They were transported in individual wooden boxes within air-conditioned vehicles to minimize stress and maintain optimal conditions during the journey.
- The vultures are being relocated to three pre-release aviaries in Vidarbha’s Melghat, Pench, and Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserves, following international soft-release protocols.
- The operation was led by a collaborative team of forest officials, veterinarians, and biologists, with long-term monitoring planned to track the vultures’ survival and breeding success.