Ramadevara Betta Vulture Sanctuary | 22 Mar 2025

Source: TH 

The rare sighting of the Indian Long-Billed Vulture (Indian Vulture) at Ramadevara Betta Vulture Sanctuary underscores the success of protected area-based conservation efforts. 

Ramadevara Betta Vulture Sanctuary: 

• It is situated in the Ramadevara Betta Hill Range in Ramanagara, Karnataka. 
• It is India’s first and only vulture sanctuary established in 2012 and notified Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZ) in 2017 to safeguard endangered vulture species. 
• The Sanctuary is home to three of the nine vulture species found in India — the Indian Long-Billed Vulture, Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus), and White-Backed Vulture (Gyps bengalensis). 

Indian Long-Billed Vulture (Gyps indicus): 

• It is a medium-sized, bulky scavenger native to Asia (India, Pakistan, and Nepal), primarily feeding on animal carcasses, with females being smaller than males. 
• They prefer savannas, open landscapes near villages, cities, and cultivated areas. 
• Their population has declined by 97-99% due to poisoning from diclofenac, a veterinary drug once used for livestock. 
• IUCN Status: Critically Endangered