Vulture Action Plan for Recovery of Vulture Population
A ‘Vulture Action Plan ‘for recovery of vulture population has been prepared in consultation with all the stakeholdersin the country. Union Government is aware of steep decline in the population of vultures as reported by Bird Life International. However this report is based on the surveys carried out by Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). Union Government is playing a proactive role to save vultures in the country who are natural garbage collectors and keep socio-ecological balance. The government has banned the veterinary use of drug “dicolfenac” which reportedly is the major cause of the vulture mortality.
In addition to existing three vulture breeding centres at Pinjore (Haryana), Rajabhatkhawa (West Bengal) and Rani (Assam) , the Ministry through Central Zoo Authority has facilitated establishment of four rescue/breeding centres in zoos at Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh), Bhubaneswar (Orissa), Junagarh (Gujarat) and Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh).
Based on the survey and monitoring conducted by Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and others estimated populations of critically endangered species comprising of about 1000 slender-billed, 11000 white-backed and 44000 long-billed vultures have been reported. Breeding populations of vultures have been reported from the States of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Assam.
