From Crisis to Recovery: Conserving India’s Vultures
Prelims:
Environment
& Ecology
Mains:
Conservation and
Biodiversity
Current relevance:
International Vulture Awareness Day 2026 was
celebrated at Panchkula, Haryana, where Union Environment Minister Bhupender
Yadav inaugurated a national workshop themed “From Crisis to Recovery –
Conserving India’s Vultures.”
Highlights:
1.
Vulture Diversity in
India:
India
is home to a diverse community of resident and migratory vultures,
including the White-rumped, Long-billed, Slender-billed, Red-headed, Egyptian,
Himalayan Griffon, Eurasian Griffon, Cinereous and Bearded Vultures.
2.
Ecological Importance
Vultures
are highly efficient scavengers and act as “nature’s own cleaning
system.” By rapidly consuming animal carcasses, they facilitate nutrient
recycling and help maintain ecological balance.
3.
Decline in Vulture
Population
India
witnessed a sharp decline in vulture populations since the 1990s, mainly due to
disruption of their food chain and the use of painkillers in livestock, whose
carcasses were subsequently consumed by vultures.
4.
Vulture Safe Zones
The
government has emphasised the continued creation of Vulture Safe Zones
by promoting vulture-safe veterinary practices, ensuring safe food
availability, encouraging safe carcass management and strengthening technical
capacity for species recovery in the wild.
5.
Jatayu Conservation
Breeding Centre (JCBC)
i.
The Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre
(JCBC), located at Pinjore in Haryana, is a collaborative initiative of the Haryana
Forest Department and Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS).
ii.
The Centre focuses on conservation breeding
of the White-rumped, Long-billed and Slender-billed Vultures.
6.
Science-Based
Conservation at JCBC
JCBC
adopts scientific conservation practices including scientific husbandry,
artificial incubation, veterinary care, breeding and genetic management,
thereby supporting the development of healthy and genetically managed vulture
populations.
7.
From Conservation
Breeding to Recovery in the Wild:
Conservation
breeding aims to develop healthy and genetically managed populations,
strengthen scientific knowledge and technical capacity, and support the
reintroduction and long-term recovery of species in the wild.
8.
Collaborative
Conservation Approach
Vulture
conservation follows a “Whole of Government” and “Whole of Society” approach,
involving government agencies, scientists, veterinarians, zoo professionals,
livestock owners, local administrations, conservation practitioners and
communities.
9.
Ecosystem-Oriented
Conservation
India's
conservation approach follows a holistic ecosystem-oriented model rather than
focusing only on individual species, with conservation initiatives covering Big
Cats, Sloth Bear, Great Indian Bustard, Dolphins, Gharial, Wild Water Buffalo
and Vultures.
10. Institutional Collaboration
The
2026 national workshop involved collaboration among the MoEFCC, Central Zoo
Authority (CZA), Haryana Forest & Wildlife Department, Bombay Natural
History Society (BNHS) and Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre (JCBC).
Source:
PIB - https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?PRID=2307093®=48&lang=1