Forest officials propose vulture conservation in Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar

In the course of the survey, the forest department says it has spotted the vultures nesting in Madanpur, Gonauli, Harnatand and Bhikhnathori areas of the reserve

Forest officials have sent a proposal to the Bihar government to set up a vulture conservation centre in the Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VRT) in West Champaran district on the pattern of Uttarakhand’s Corbett National Park with the aim to save the endangered flying scavengers from extinction in the region, forest officials said.

The forest officials in Bihar have requested for the deployment of vulture trackers for protection and regular monitoring of their populations. (HT Photo)

HK Rai, wildlife conservator and field director of the reserve, said a recent study has revealed the nesting of vultures at a few places in Valmiki Tiger Reserve. “It is certainly an optimistic sign and there is no reason why we cannot raise their number in VTR. We are planning the recovery programme for Himalayan Griffon vulture and its habitats, among other species of vultures, whose number have dwindled,” he said, citing the reasons behind the proposal, which may cost ₹57.15 lakh to implement, if approved

In the course of the survey, the forest department says it has spotted the vultures nesting in Madanpur, Gonauli, Harnatand and Bhikhnathori areas of the reserve. “Our study indicates that these places are conducive for the conservation of vultures,” said the wildlife conservator and field director.

Emboldened by the study, the forest officials have requested for the deployment of vulture trackers for protection and regular monitoring of their population. Among other measures for their preservation, they recommend commissioning of watch towers, rescue equipment, medicines and vulture-care and disease diagnosis facilities besides creation of water harvesting structures such as bunds, waterholes and ponds.

Quoting some studies, Rai said the number of vultures had dwindled in the south Asian region owing to the use of diclofenac, a non-steroidal and anti-inflammatory drug “Though diclofenac is now banned, we still need to educate the villagers about the importance of vulture species in our environment,” Rai said, sharing his future action plan.

In VTR, the Udaypur forest area is also known for a number of winged creatures which include jungle bush quail, red jungle fowl, Indian peafowl, cotton pygmy goose, great crested grebe, black bittern bird, little egroot, red-headed vulture, common moorhen, grey-headed lapwing, Asian cuckoo, blue-tailed beater, Indian grey hornbill, grey-capped pygmy, wood picker, yellow-crowned woodpecker and Himalayan gold black are among others. “Each of them has their own significance in maintaining ecological balance,” said a forest official.

A vulture conservation centre has come a long way at Corbett National Park Uttarakhand, raising their population. Officials describe the vultures as scavenger birds which play a pivotal role in cleaning up and maintaining ecological balance.

“The most striking attributes of vultures lie in more fact than one. Firstly, their beaks are potent enough to break the bones and thereby leave nothing behind. Secondly, they do not get infected even though they feed on dead animals and infected carcasses. For, the acid in their stomach kills the pathogen and thereby they help in breaking the chain of infection,” said JS Suhag, chief wildlife warden, Uttarakhand.

“Needless to say they keep the spread of harmful pathogens at bay invisibly,” he added.

Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand conserves as many as seven species of vultures which include cinereous vulture, Egyptian vulture, red headed vulture, slender billed vulture, white rumped vulture, Himalayan griffon vulture and Eurasian vulture. “These all are on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, (IUCN) with three of them in the critically endangered zone,” said Rajiv Bhartari, principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF), Uttrakhand.