Vulture conservation: Centre sits on Telangana plea

It’s been two years and the MoEF is yet to respond to the Telangana Forest department’s appeal for approving procurement of five pairs of white-backed vultures from Maharashtra.

Hyderabad: It’s been two years and the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) is yet to respond to the Telangana Forest department’s appeal for approving procurement of five pairs of white-backed vultures from Maharashtra.

This is after the Telangana Forest department and its counterpart in Maharashtra agreed to the procurement of five pairs for intensifying vulture conservation activities in the State. The Centre’s approval is mandatory for procurement and shifting of vultures from one State to another.

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“We had submitted the agreement letter between Telangana and Maharashtra forest departments to the Ministry of Environment and Forests in 2020. But there is no reply yet,” a senior Telangana Forest official said.

This was at a time when the Telangana Forest department’s measures in tiger and mouse deer conservation were yielding good results. The tiger population in the State is now estimated to be about 25 and similarly mouse deer conservation measures were also successful.

The white-backed vulture has been listed as ‘Critically Endangered’ on the International union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red list. The department has been taking up vulture conservation activities seriously but unfortunately the efforts were not paying off well.

The Central Zoo Authority had approved a vulture conservation breeding programme at Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad. However, with the birds being 30 to 35 years old, after the eggs were laid, the chicks were not surviving for more than two to three weeks, the official said, adding that genetic disorders could be another reason.

With captive breeding not yielding good results, the department had also intensified measures for facilitating natural breeding at Palarapugutta in the Penchikalpet forest range in Kumram Bheem Asifabad.

Generally, vultures fly to this cliff from Maharashtra due to the conducive ambience for nesting. Since there were heavy rains in the last two years, there was not much of nesting activity in the area.

However, things are now appearing bright as Forest officials spotted vultures regularly in the region again this breeding season, which extends from November to February. Since vultures are also spotted at Maddimadugu and Kollapur, wildlife activists want the Forest department to take up breeding and conservation activities at Amrabad forest division as well.

Telangana forest department measures

To intensify vulture conservation measures in the State, the Forest department has sanctioned setting up an Observation Room at Palarapugutta, besides appointing a biologist for Kagaznagar forest division.

Under this initiative, the department has sanctioned Rs.40 lakh and is arranging necessary equipment like telescope and others. Further, the local staff is directed to create natural atmosphere for attracting birds to the area.

To this effect, the staff is arranging food resources and livestock, which are free from any veterinary drugs. Carcasses were being strewn all over the location to ensure that birds fly down and breed, said the official, adding that the Observation Room activities would be ready by March.