Vulture census in Bengal after 14 years, plans to conserve Asian King Vulture

The population of vultures crashed across the country, particularly due to the use of painkiller, Diclofenac, in cattle.

The West Bengal forest department will conduct a state-wide census of vultures – a scavenging bird that is considered vital for a healthy ecosystem - in February 2021, after a gap of 14 years.

Two captive Himalayan griffon vultures were fitted with transmitters to help scientists track them. They were released in the wild from the Rajabhatkhawa Vulture Breeding Centre at Buxa Tiger Reserve in Alipurduar district of north Bengal on Saturday. (HT File Photo)

The forest department, which is presently conserving three vulture species at a breeding centre in north Bengal, has also decided to conserve the critically endangered Asian King Vulture and breed them at the Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre (VCBC) in Rajabhatkhawa.

“Even though we have been doing vulture census in some localities as per our requirements, this time we would conduct an organised, state-wide census in the first week of February 2021. The last national vulture census was conducted in 2006,” said a top official of the state forest department.

The population of vultures crashed across the country, particularly due to the use of painkiller, Diclofenac, in cattle. The population of most common vultures, including the Oriental white-backed, Long-billed and Slender-billed, declined by more than 96% between 1993 and 2003.

At present three vulture species – White-backed, Himalayan Griffon and Slender-billed – are being conserved at the VCBC. For the first time in December 2019, two Himalayan griffons fitted with transmitters were released in the wild from VCBC.

On Saturday, two captive-bred White backed vultures fitted with satellite transmitters and six Himalayan Griffons with wing tags were released in the wild. Scientists would be monitoring them to know more about these birds.

“The conservation and breeding program at VCBC has been running successfully since 2006. At present, there are 140 vultures. In the last 14 years 76 birds were born in captivity. We are now going to conserve the Asian King Vulture too and increase the number of aviaries so that more vultures could be protected,” said another senior official.