<p>Mumbai: As part of ongoing vulture conservation efforts, 15 crucially endangered Indian vultures were released in the Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR) in Amravati district in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.</p><p>These 15 vultures were translocated from the Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre (VCBC), Pinjore in Haryana to the Somthana Range of Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR) on April 23, 2025. </p><p>After their arrival, the vultures were housed in a pre-release aviary at Melghat to help them gradually adapt to the local environment.</p><p>On December 19, 2025, all the birds were fitted with GSM/Satellite tags to enable scientists to monitor their movement and survival in the wild.</p><p>The soft release process began on January 2, 2026, when the aviary gates were opened from a distance, and food was placed outside the enclosure to encourage the birds to come out naturally.</p><p>The vulture release programme faced multiple challenges, including limited food availability, absence of a native vulture population to guide captive-bred birds, and the continued threat of harmful veterinary drugs in the landscape. </p><p>“These challenges were addressed by establishing feeding stations, sourcing safe cattle carcasses through active partnerships with gaushalas,” says Bhaskar Das, Conservation Biologist.</p><p>The release was carried out by Director Kishor Rithe, BNHS, along with RFO Somthana Vinil Hatwar, in the presence of ACF Ganesh Tekade. The event was supported by BNHS staff members Bhaskar Das, Conservation Biologist, Sooryajith P, Conservation Biologist, and Lakhan Baasudev, Field Assistant. “Melghat has been a stronghold of Long Billed Vultures. We hope the birds would learn to live here again,” said Rithe.</p>
<p>Mumbai: As part of ongoing vulture conservation efforts, 15 crucially endangered Indian vultures were released in the Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR) in Amravati district in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.</p><p>These 15 vultures were translocated from the Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre (VCBC), Pinjore in Haryana to the Somthana Range of Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR) on April 23, 2025. </p><p>After their arrival, the vultures were housed in a pre-release aviary at Melghat to help them gradually adapt to the local environment.</p><p>On December 19, 2025, all the birds were fitted with GSM/Satellite tags to enable scientists to monitor their movement and survival in the wild.</p><p>The soft release process began on January 2, 2026, when the aviary gates were opened from a distance, and food was placed outside the enclosure to encourage the birds to come out naturally.</p><p>The vulture release programme faced multiple challenges, including limited food availability, absence of a native vulture population to guide captive-bred birds, and the continued threat of harmful veterinary drugs in the landscape. </p><p>“These challenges were addressed by establishing feeding stations, sourcing safe cattle carcasses through active partnerships with gaushalas,” says Bhaskar Das, Conservation Biologist.</p><p>The release was carried out by Director Kishor Rithe, BNHS, along with RFO Somthana Vinil Hatwar, in the presence of ACF Ganesh Tekade. The event was supported by BNHS staff members Bhaskar Das, Conservation Biologist, Sooryajith P, Conservation Biologist, and Lakhan Baasudev, Field Assistant. “Melghat has been a stronghold of Long Billed Vultures. We hope the birds would learn to live here again,” said Rithe.</p>
