Kaziranga National Park Welcomes Slender-Billed Vultures to Boost Population
Release of Slender-Billed Vultures in Kaziranga
Mirza, March 24: In a significant conservation effort, the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, in partnership with the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), has successfully released five slender-billed vultures into a newly established soft release aviary located in Biswanath district.
This initiative is part of a broader strategy to restore the slender-billed vulture population within the park and reserve.
The release event was attended by notable figures including BNHS president Praveen Pardeshi, Assam's chief wildlife warden Dr. Vinay Gupta, BNHS director Kishor Rithe, and field directors Dr. Sonali Ghosh and Dr. Sachin Ranade, along with Ritupaban Borah, the centre manager of BNHS and DFO of Biswanath.
This marks the inaugural release of slender-billed vultures bred in captivity in India. The Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre at Rani has successfully bred 56 of these vultures, enabling the forest department to release 5-10 vultures into the wild annually.
Additionally, the BNHS has bred approximately 60 slender-billed vultures at its facility in Haryana, which can also contribute birds for release from the aviary in Tewaripal village, situated within the Biswanath Forest Division.
The vultures were moved from Rani to Biswanath on Friday and placed in the soft release aviary to acclimatize for several months.
Pardeshi commended the efforts of the state's forest department and the Kaziranga authority in their mission to revive the slender-billed vulture population, highlighting the importance of involving local communities in conservation efforts.
Dr. Vinay Gupta noted that this initiative could attract tourists to the village, potentially providing job opportunities for local youth.
Dr. Sonali Ghosh praised the work of the BNHS, affirming that the Kaziranga authority is dedicated to enhancing conservation efforts for lesser-known wildlife. She mentioned that while wild slender-billed vultures do breed naturally in the park, releasing birds bred in captivity could significantly aid in increasing their numbers.