Assam has achieved a significant milestone in vulture conservation with the soft release of 10 captive-bred vultures into their natural habitat in Biswanath district, a move described by conservation authorities as a global first in vulture reintroduction efforts. Five slender-billed vultures and five white-rumped vultures were released on August 7 from the Jatayu Soft Release Centre at Tewaripal in Biswanath. The release was carried out as part of a long-running conservation programme jointly undertaken by the Assam Forest Department and the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). The birds were bred at the Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre at Rani, where the conservation programme has been in operation since 2007. Around three months before the release, the 10 vultures were moved to the release aviary at Biswanath. They were kept there to acclimatise to local conditions before being allowed to enter their natural habitat.
The initiative is particularly important given the sharp decline in India’s vulture population over the past few decades. Gyps vultures, including the white-rumped and slender-billed species, have suffered population losses of around 99 per cent over two decades. One of the major reasons for the decline was poisoning caused by veterinary non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), particularly diclofenac, when vultures fed on carcasses of treated livestock.The use of diclofenac in veterinary treatment was subsequently banned, while restrictions were also introduced on other drugs, including aceclofenac, ketoprofen and nimesulide. Vultures in Assam also face the risk of secondary poisoning from pesticides sprayed on livestock carcasses. Such carcasses are an important source of food for the birds, making the safe disposal and management of animal remains an important part of conservation efforts.
The dedicated release aviary at Biswanath was established by Kaziranga National Park to facilitate the scientific reintroduction of captive-bred vultures into the wild. The soft-release approach allows the birds to gradually adjust to their surroundings before fully adapting to life outside captivity.The release programme was attended by Assam Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah, Biswanath MLA Pallab Lochan Das, Special Chief Secretary M Yadav, Chief Wildlife Warden Vinay Gupta, Kaziranga National Park Director C Ramesh and BNHS Deputy Director Sachin Ranade.To minimise disturbance to the birds, officials opened the aviary remotely using a pulley system. Their movements were monitored through a CCTV-equipped tower as they began their transition into the natural environment. For post-release monitoring, each vulture has been fitted with a numbered blue leg ring and a tag on its back. These identification markers will allow forest officials and researchers to track the birds, study their movements and assess how successfully they adapt to the wild.