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Hope Soars: Rare Vultures Beat Odds in India's Forests
3 Dec
Summary
- Two captive-bred vultures survived 15 months in the wild.
- Vultures N01 and N24 adapted and thrived in Madhya Pradesh forests.
- This success offers significant hope for endangered vulture populations.
In a significant breakthrough for vulture conservation, two captive-bred long-billed vultures have demonstrated remarkable survival skills in the wild. These birds, identified as N01 and N24, have successfully adapted to the forests of Madhya Pradesh over the past 15 months following their release from Nagpur's Pench Tiger Reserve.
Originally hatched in Haryana's Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre and later trained at Pench, these two vultures were part of a larger group released into the wild. Their survival stands out as a testament to successful captive breeding and rewilding techniques, offering a crucial glimmer of hope for critically endangered Gyps vulture species in India. Their continued presence signifies a positive step in increasing vulture numbers.
Monitoring efforts have revealed that N24, in particular, has shown exceptional adaptability, foraging on both provisioned food and wild kills made by other carnivores. The successful integration of these two individuals into the wild ecosystem suggests that captively reared vultures can indeed survive and potentially contribute to wild populations, a vital development for species that have dwindled dramatically.
