State’s second vulture breeding centre planned in Pune’s Bavdhan area

Work for the ₹15-crore Nashik centre project near Trimbakeshwar, started around two months back, is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.

In efforts to conserve vulture species in Maharashtra, with almost all classified as threatened or endangered, the state forest department planned two vulture breeding centres — Pune and Nashik — in the state.

Maharashtra is home to several native vulture species. Also, few migratory species like Egyptian Vulture is also sighted in some areas (HT Photo)

Work for the ₹15-crore Nashik centre project near Trimbakeshwar, started around two months back, is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.

Tushar Chavan, deputy conservator of forests (wildlife), Pune forest department said, “The vulture population in Maharashtra is around 1,000. While the Nashik project has already started, we submitted the Pune centre proposal to the chief wildlife warden, Maharashtra forest department on January 13. The site for the planned project will be spread around 5.5 hectares near the existing transit treatment centre in Bavdhan and will focus on the long-billed vulture (Indian vulture) species. The estimated cost of the project is ₹10 crore.”

Maharashtra is home to several native vulture species. Also, few migratory species like Egyptian Vulture is also sighted in some areas.

However, over the years, the vulture population in Maharashtra is facing several threats which resulted in significant decline in count.

“Various studies indicate that Maharashtra had about 10,000 vultures and it has dropped to 1,000 over the past two decades,” a forest department official said.