International Vulture Awareness Day celebrated at Rani Breeding Centre

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaSeptember 7, 2025

International Vulture Awareness Day was celebrated on September 6 by the Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre (VCBC) at Belguri, Rani. The programme was attended by Roji Barman, RFO of Rani Range, Lavina D’Souza, Principal of Carmel School, environmental scientist and reporter Sanat Chakraborty, Kankan Jyoti Kaushik, RFO of Kulsi Range, and Nayan Jyoti Das, RFO of Loharghat Range.

As part of the celebration, a month-long drawing competition was organised with the participation of 53 schools from Kamrup district, generating more than 3,500 entries. A total of 182 prizes were declared on a school-wise basis to ensure fair competition. The process was coordinated by Jayanta Kumar Rabha with the support of a dedicated team. The children’s works displayed a wide range of creativity, with vultures depicted in portraits, pencil sketches, thematic drawings and nature compositions. Selected artworks were exhibited at the auditorium of Carmel High School.

The overall winners of the competition were Angel Deepika, who secured the first position, followed by Nihar Kalita in second place, and Taison Rabha and Dritidipa Bora as joint third winners.

Six individuals were also felicitated as “Vulture Friends” for their extraordinary contribution to vulture conservation. They included Khogan Rabha, Binita Rabha and Sampa Rabha, residents of Chhatargaon village who rescued a vulture and handed it over to the Forest Department; Himakshi Saud, who completed her internship on vultures at VCBC with research on flock behaviour; conservation biologist Banjyoti Nath, who studies bird behaviour and actively works to mitigate wildlife-human conflict; and Ayesha Siddika, a young volunteer engaged in vulture monitoring in Kokrajhar district.

Local social workers associated with VCBC for more than a decade were also honoured on the occasion. They were Jutika Das, village head of Rani; Tanya Talwar and Rituraj Devan from the organisation 7 Weaves; Abhishek from the Bharti Airtel Foundation; and Binita from Diya Foundation.