Context:
Recently, five captive-bred slender-billed vultures (Gyps tenuirostris) have been released into the wild in Assam, marking the first known release of captive-bred slender-billed vultures anywhere in the world. The release was carried out at the Jatayu Soft Release Centre in the Biswanath Division of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.
About Slender-Billed Vultures:
|
Feature |
Slender-billed Vulture |
|
Scientific name |
Gyps tenuirostris |
|
IUCN Status |
Critically Endangered |
|
Indian legal protection |
Schedule I, Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 |
|
Distribution |
Indian subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia |
|
Indian habitat |
Sub-Himalayan plains, Assam and Gangetic plains |
|
Nesting |
Mainly tall trees |
|
Major threat |
Veterinary diclofenac poisoning |
Why is the release significant?
The slender-billed vulture is one of the Gyps vultures whose population suffered a dramatic decline because of the widespread use of veterinary diclofenac.
Vultures feeding on carcasses of livestock treated with diclofenac can develop kidney failure and visceral gout, often resulting in death.
Therefore, captive breeding and subsequent release are important components of rebuilding wild populations.
About Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS):
The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) is one of India's prominent non-governmental organisations working in wildlife research, biodiversity conservation and nature education.
Basic Profile
- Founded: 15 September 1883
- Headquarters: Hornbill House, Mumbai
- Emblem: Great Hornbill
- International association: Partner of BirdLife International
Role of BNHS:
The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has been involved in conservation-breeding programmes for threatened vultures.
The birds released in Assam were bred at the Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre at Rani near Guwahati. Before release, the vultures were shifted to an acclimatisation aviary for about three months.
The soft-release approach allows captive-bred birds to gradually adapt to natural environmental conditions before complete independence in the wild.
Major Threats to Vultures
Veterinary diclofenac
- The most important historical cause of the decline of Gyps vultures.
- Contaminated livestock carcasses expose vultures to the drug.
- Causes renal failure and visceral gout.
Habitat degradation
- Loss of large nesting trees.
- Agricultural expansion and other land-use changes can reduce suitable nesting and feeding areas.
Food availability and contamination
- Changes in livestock carcass disposal practices can affect food availability.
- Other veterinary pharmaceuticals can also pose risks.
Conservation Measures in India:
India has adopted several measures for vulture conservation:
- Ban/restriction on veterinary diclofenac to reduce poisoning.
- Establishment of vulture conservation breeding centres.
- Captive breeding followed by release into suitable habitats.
- Monitoring of wild vulture populations.
- The Vulture Action Plan provides a broader framework for conservation of India's vulture species.
