After a young white-backed vulture, a critically endangered species, was rescued by the Telangana forest department on Friday, the department has initiated a search operation to locate its parents and nest. These vultures haven’t been seen in Hyderabad for the past two decades, according to the forest department.
On Friday, the bird, suffering from dehydration, was found perched on a motorcycle near a mosque in Asifnagar. Locals from the area identified the bird as a vulture and contacted the forest department helpline. Soon after, the department rescued the bird and took it to the Hyderabad zoo.
After the discovery of this rare scavenging bird, authorities believe there is hope in saving the species and enhancing their population.
Speaking to TNM, Deputy Conservator of Forests, A Shankaran, who also heads the anti-poaching team said, “The bird is probably 12-13 months old. As it is a juvenile, it is possible that it is being nurtured by its parents. With the help of NGOs and officials, we will scout the area around Asifnagar to locate its nest. These birds have nests on cliffs, so we will be mostly concentrating there.”
The authorities intend to attempt to conserve the species if they spot the juvenile bird’s parents.
Shankaran added, “There is also the possibility that the bird escaped from wildlife smugglers, but since that likelihood is less, we are going ahead with the search.”
The gender of the bird is yet to be ascertained. “We can’t tell its gender yet, only when it grows we will be able to ascertain that,” Shankaran said.
According to the forest department, the population of vultures in the state is declining sharply due to various reasons, including shortage of food. “These birds survive on scavenging dead animals, birds, etc. And in urban pockets hardly any dead body is thrown out in the open,” he said.
In a bid to increase the vulture population, the forest department had taken efforts in the past, including starting a breeding programme at the Hyderabad zoo in 2011. However, the efforts failed, after which the department exchanged animals for vultures from the Pinjore zoo in Haryana. Even this did not see much success.