'Critically endangered' red-headed vulture sighted in Dudhwa National Park after many years

A red-headed vulture, also known as the Asian king vulture, has been sighted in the south Sonaripur range of Dudhwa National Park after a gap of several years, officials said on Thursday.

A couple of days ago, biologist Vipin Kumar recorded the bird on his camera and informed the park authorities, the field director of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve B Prabhakar told PTI.

The red-headed vulture is listed as a critically endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

"Asian King vulture has been sighted in Dudhwa after several years and it is highly encouraging," the official said.

A vulture breeding centre has been set up in Mahrajganj district to protect and conserve the endangered vulture species, he said.

Vultures served as natural scavengers, feeding on animal carcasses and thus cleaning the environment, Prabhakar said.