NEW DELHI: New Delhi: With vultures vanishing from practically 72% of their traditionally identified nesting websites throughout India over time, Union setting minister Bhupender Yadav on Sunday pitched for conservation of the character’s best scavengers and referred to as for continued efforts to create Vulture Protected Zones.He mentioned vulture-safe veterinary practices, secure meals availability and technical capacity-building had been wanted to help species restoration within the wild.Talking at an Worldwide Vulture Consciousness Day 2026 occasion in Panchkula, Haryana, Yadav urged veterinary professionals, livestock house owners, native administrations and communities to help conservation and secure carcass-management practices.Vultures play a significant position in conserving ecosystems clear by feeding on decaying carcasses. In contrast to predators, they hardly ever kill their very own prey. As a substitute, they’re scavengers that feed on carrion left behind by different animals. By eradicating lifeless animal matter, vultures assist preserve the setting clear and considerably cut back the chance of illness spreading.Vulture populations have fallen sharply because the Nineties, primarily due to disruption to their meals chain and veterinary use of diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory drug generally administered to livestock. Analysis discovered vultures feeding on carcasses of handled livestock suffered kidney failure and died.India has 9 vulture species: white-rumped, long-billed, slender-billed, red-headed, Egyptian, Himalayan griffon, Eurasian griffon, cinereous and bearded vultures. They’re discovered from the Himalayan vary to Kerala.
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A pan-India evaluation by Wildlife Institute of India scientists final yr recorded solely 120 lively historic nesting websites amongst 425 documented in literature throughout 25 states. Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan accounted for about 63% of all vulture nests. Researchers additionally recognized 93 new nesting places, taking the whole to 213, together with 103 in protected areas.Conservation breeding of vultures is underneath manner at centres in Pinjore, Haryana; Rajabha Khawa, West Bengal; and Rani, Assam.Throughout 2025–26, Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre in Pinjore housed 356 vultures, bred 35 chicks and launched or contributed 87 birds for reintroduction, setting ministry mentioned. It transferred 90 birds to different conservation-breeding establishments and educated 1,222 contributors from 22 establishments.The centre, run collectively by Haryana Forest Division and Bombay Pure Historical past Society, breeds white-rumped, long-billed and slender-billed vultures.