Nagpur, Dec 12 (PTI) Vultures released earlier in the wild were seen interacting and feeding with newly released birds during the soft release of critically endangered vultures at Pench Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra, marking a positive milestone in the state’s vulture recovery programme.
The State Forest Department, in collaboration with the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), on Thursday initiated the second phase of captive-bred vulture release at Pench, according to an official statement.
A total of 13 vultures—eight White-rumped Vultures (Gyps bengalensis) and five Long-billed Vultures (Gyps indicus)—were released after undergoing a structured acclimatisation process in a pre-release aviary.
The vultures were brought from Pinjore in Haryana in April 2025 and were trained to feed independently on carcasses and adapt to local environmental conditions before their release in the wild.
The aviary gate was kept open as part of the soft-release protocol, allowing the birds to leave voluntarily.
On Friday, vultures released in an earlier batch in August 2024 were observed feeding alongside the newly released birds at the designated feeding site.
BNHS Director Kishor Rithe said the interaction was a strong positive behavioural indicator, reflecting successful integration of the current batch into the local vulture population.
PTR and BNHS had earlier released 10 long-billed vultures in August 2024, two of which were later recorded moving across Pench landscapes in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
All released vultures have been fitted with GPS transmitters to monitor their movement, habitat use and survival. One white-rumped vulture remains under medical treatment and will be released once declared fit, officials said.
The Forest Department and BNHS plan to carry out similar releases in Melghat and Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserves in the coming months. PTI MR NSK
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