30 white-rumped, 5 slender-billed vultures to be released in Kaziranga’s Nagshankar Range

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaSeptember 7, 2025

Thirty white-rumped vultures and five slender-billed vultures bred at the Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre (VCBC), Rani, will soon be released into the Nagshankar Range under the Sixth Addition to Kaziranga National Park.

The release is part of a national strategy to revive India’s vulture populations, which suffered a catastrophic crash since the mid-1990s due to poisoning by the veterinary drug diclofenac. Though diclofenac has been banned, other toxic NSAIDs such as aceclofenac, nimesulide and ketoprofen remain in circulation.

Under the Action Plan for Vulture Conservation in India (2020–2025), with interventions by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), the Assam Forest Department and the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), significant breeding success has been achieved for three critically endangered species — the White-rumped, Long-billed and Slender-billed vultures. With technical and financial support from the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) and partner agencies, nearly 800 vultures are currently housed across eight conservation breeding centres in India.

The Union government, the Assam government and BNHS are now working on releasing captive-bred vultures into the Kaziranga Tiger Reserve. Once the necessary CZA permissions are granted, 30 White-rumped vultures and five Slender-billed vultures from VCBC Rani will be soft-released into Nagshankar Range. An aviary at the release site is under construction, and awareness programmes with local communities are underway to ensure the project’s success.

Marking International Vulture Awareness Day, Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve organised a Vulture Awareness Talk at its Bokakhat office on Sunday. Thirty-five students from J.D.S.G. College and C.N.B. College participated in the session, which was also streamed live on the park’s official Facebook page to reach a wider audience.

The talk was led by Gitartha Borah, biologist with BNHS, who highlighted the ecological importance of vultures, the reasons behind their rapid decline, and the conservation measures being undertaken in Assam and across India. He described vultures as nature’s “clean-up crew,” essential for maintaining ecological balance and safeguarding public health. Students actively interacted with the resource person, asking questions on breeding, habitat protection and initiatives such as the Vulture Safe Zone in Assam.

Kaziranga National Park and its adjoining landscapes remain one of the most important strongholds for vulture populations in India. Officials stressed that awareness among youth and community participation are vital for the long-term survival of these critically endangered species.