Vulture conservation to boost up from 2014: BNHS

"Extinction of vultures is a cause of concern. Almost 40 per recent of remaining vultures are dying every year," Dr Asad Rehmani, a senior member of National Board for Wildlife and Director of Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), said in Panaji.

He said the 30 young vultures have already been bred at the facilities and they will be released in 2014-15.

MoEF has set up three vulture breeding facilities at Rani, Guwahati (Assam), Pinjore (Haryana) and Buxa (West Bengal).

"The breeding facilities had started some years back but it takes time for the reproduction amongst vultures. The projects are expensive but the real idea is that if vultures totally disappear there should be some at least in captivity which can be released," said Rehmani, whose BNHS is managing the projects.

The MoEF intends to create vulture safe zones spanning across thousands of kilometers where these birds in captivity would be released.

"From 2014 onwards, they would be released. The birds will be having colour banding so that they can be located once air bound," he said. MORE