Thaindian News

Chandigarh, Aug 1 (IANS) A slender-billed vulture nestling, an endangered species, has for the first time hatched in captivity at the Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre (VCBC) at Pinjore in Haryana is ready to fledge, or grow its wings.
Haryana Forests and Environment Minister Kiran Choudhry disclosed this Saturday at a Van Mahotsav function at Morni hills, 45 km from here.

The nestling of the now nearly extinct vulture breed hatched March 2 this year and is now 140 days old.

“It was still in the nest and is likely to fledge any day. The incubation period recorded was 56 days. Two pairs had laid eggs and only one hatched. It is perhaps the most endangered vulture in the world with less than 1,000 birds left,” Choudhry said.

Complimenting the VCBC scientists and staff for the successful captivity breeding programme, she said: “The hatching of this endangered species has given more confidence in the husbandry and care of vultures practiced at the centre.”

The VCBC at Pinjore, 25 km from here, has been engaged in captivity breeding of various breeds of vultures whose population in the northern region has drastically declined in recent years.

Choudhry said that there were 120 vultures at the VCBC, out of which 54 were long-billed, 52 white-backed (including two juveniles - Vibhu and Phoenix, hatched last year) and 14 slender-billed vultures.

She said that population of the three once most abundant species of vultures - white backed vultures, long billed and slender billed - had crashed in the country. The population of white backed had declined by more than 99 per cent and long billed and slender billed by over 97 per cent, during the last 15 years.

Diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug given to livestock against inflammation and pain, had been found to be responsible in most of the mortalities of the vultures and was the major cause of the crash in population. Vultures get exposed to the drug when they feed on carcasses of livestock which die within 72 hours after they were administered the drug. The veterinary use of diclofenac has been banned by the government now.

The near extinction of vultures over the region is causing ecological concern as vultures used to eat up carcasses of dead animals.

The vulture breeds were distributed north of Indo-Gangetic plains from Himachal Pradesh to Assam in the east. They have almost disappeared from most part of the distribution range and was seen in small numbers only in Assam.

The VCBC had 14 birds of this species and all had been brought from Assam.

Choudhry said that the breeding of white-backed vulture was also good this year and three nestlings fledged successfully. Five eggs hatched this year but two nestlings died. Two white backed vultures which hatched last year were now more than one and a half year old. Two longbilled vultures also laid eggs but the eggs did not hatch, she added.