The Wildlife Division of the Forest Department has made the choice to expand the Kangra-based initiative for safeguarding the breeding and roosting locations of white-becked vultures, which are considered natural scavengers, to nine other districts.

Thanks to the initiative, there are many more vulture sightings, are being carried out in the area of Kangra. Rajiv Kumar, Principal Chief Conservator, Wildlife, Forest Department said: “We have decided to expand the programme for safeguarding the breeding and roosting areas of vultures to nine more districts excluding Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti in Himachal Pradesh.”

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The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List lists vultures as critically endangered species, and therefore the Wildlife Department began working to protect them more than 20 years ago. As feeding stations are installed in pine woods in the Nagrota Surian region of Kangra, the number of vultures—which was only believed to be 35 in 2004 – has increased significantly over time.

The annual survey of vulture nests and fledglings revealed that the species’ population in Kangra and surrounding areas has increased significantly to around 400, said Rajiv Kumar. Another region of the state where vultures are commonly seen is Nalagarh near Solan and Paonta Sahib in Sirmaur.

The wildlife wing has decided against in-situ breeding and conservation of vultures in favour of protecting their natural habitats. However, we have chosen a different approach where the focus is on conserving their nesting and roosting locations, he said. Some other states, like Haryana, have also conducted their in-situ breeding and conservation at Pinjore, he informed.

Kumar said a big part of the project will involve conducting a thorough inventory to locate roosting and breeding locations so that a favourable habitat can contribute to an increase in the number of vultures.

In the Kangra area, wildlife managers have successfully regulated the fledgling off of newborns. The overuse of anti-inflammatory veterinary medication diclofenac, which proved harmful for vultures, which eat corpses, was the first cause of the significant decline in the vulture population. The usage of this medication is now prohibited.