BNHS succeeds in breeding vultures

The efforts of Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has borne fruit, with vultures being successfully bred in captivity, for the first time in the world.

The Vulture Conservation Breeding Programme of the BNHS was started in 2004 at three places in the country at Pinjor in Haryana, Rajabhatkhawa near Baxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal and Rani Forest near Guwahati in Assam.

The breeding programme achieved a major milestone when Slender-billed Vulture, considered to be the most endangered, one nestling each hatched successfully at Pinjor and Rajabhatkhawa.

“Slender-billed vulture is perhaps the most endangered in the world with less than 1,000 birds left. This species has almost disappeared from most parts of its range north of Indo-Gangetic plains from Himachal Pradesh to Assam,” said Dr Vibhu Prakash, principal scientist and head of the breeding programme. It is now mostly found in small numbers in Assam, he added.

The nestling at Pinjore is about five months old and is ready to fledge, while the nestling at Rajabhatkhawa has already fledged. “The eggs hatched after an incubation period of 55-56 days. Two pairs had laid eggs at each of the centres but only one hatched at both the centres,” Prakash said.

“The hatching of Slender-billed nestling has given us hope of saving this species from extinction,” said BG Deshmukh, president of BNHS. Dr Asad Rahmani, director, BNHS, said the hatching of this endangered species has pumped in confidence in the husbandry and care of vultures practised at the centres.

“Slender-billed Vultures were never kept in captivity earlier and have not been studied much in the wild. So it was a big challenge to house and breed them in captivity. This successful breeding in captivity is a big step forward in saving this highly endangered species,” Prakash said.

There are 120 birds at Pinjore and 80 at Rajabhatkhawa birds, of which 14 and 12 respectively are Slender-billed Vultures. “The breeding of white-backed vultures was also good this year at Pinjore where three nestlings fledged,” said Prakash.