Endangered Himalayan vulture, bred in captivity for the first time in India

• Researchers recorded the first instance of captive breeding of the Himalayan vulture (Gyps himalayensis) in India at the Assam State Zoo, Guwahati.
• This conservation breeding is the second such instance in the world, after France, where the species has been bred in captivity.
• The captive breeding was a joint project undertaken by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and the Assam forest department.

The Himalayan vulture (Gyps himalayensis)

• It is one of the two largest Old World vultures and true raptors.
• It is native to the Himalayas and the adjoining Tibetan Plateau.
• It is also found in the Central Asian mountains.
• These are diurnal and mostly solitary species.
• It is a common winter migrant to the Indian plains.
• It is a typical vulture which has a bald white head, wings that are very wide and short tail feathers.
• Conservation status
  • IUCN: Near Threatened

Vulture Species of India

• India is home to 9 species of Vulture namely the Oriental white-backed, Long-billed, Slender-billed, Himalayan, Red-headed, Egyptian, Bearded, Cinereous and the Eurasian Griffon.

Vulture Conservation and Breeding Centres

• Four VCBCs are established by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS).
  • Pinjore in Haryana
  • Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh
  • Rani in Assam
  • Rajabhatkhawa in West Bengal
• They are involved in conservation breeding of the White-rumped vulture, Slender-billed vulture and the Indian vulture.
• The unprecedented scale and speed of declines in vulture populations has left all the three resident Gyps vulture species categorised ‘Critically Endangered’.

Prelims Takeaway

• The Himalayan vulture
• Bombay Natural History Society
• Vulture Conservation and Breeding Centres