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Two Captive-Bred Long-Billed Vultures Survive 15 Months in Wild, Settle in Madhya Pradesh

BNHS says the pair’s survival shows parent‑reared birds from its breeding program can adapt to wild conditions.

Overview

  • The vultures, N01 and N24, were hatched on January 27, 2020 at the Pinjore breeding centre and were released after training at Pench on August 10, 2024.
  • Officials report these are the only two survivors from the 10 long-billed vultures released at Pench after six months of pre-release conditioning.
  • BNHS monitoring documented N24 feeding on a tiger kill 12 days after release and regularly using both provisioned food and wild carcasses.
  • Tracking shows movements into Chhindwara and Balaghat districts up to about 50 km, with frequent roosting in Pench MP sites such as Alikatta and Khawasa.
  • The pair has been seen roosting together on several nights, as BNHS situates the result within wider releases in West Bengal, Haryana and Maharashtra.