World's First Asian King Vulture Conservation Centre

• 21 Jun 2024

Why in News?

Recently, Uttar Pradesh has established the world's first conservation and breeding center for Asian king vultures in Maharajganj district.

Key Points

• The facility aims to improve the population of Asian king vultures, which has been listed as critically endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature's red list since 2007.
  • The centre is named Jatayu Conservation and Breeding Centre, where 24x7 monitoring of the vultures is being done.
• Asian king vultures (also called red-headed vulture) are critically endangered due to a loss of their habitats and the excessive use of  diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, in domestic animals, which becomes poisonous for vultures.
  • At present the centre has a pair of male and female vultures. Three more females, who are in the aviary, will gradually get their male counterparts. The aviary is 20-feet by 30-feet.
  • The centre aims to ensure the good health of growing vultures and provide them with a pair. Once a female lays an egg, the pair will be left free in their natural environment.

Asian King Vultures

• This is one of the 9 species of Vulture which are found in India.
• It is also called the Asian King vulture or Pondicherry Vulture was extensively found in India but its numbers drastically reduced after diclofenac poisoning.
• Conservation status:
  • IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
  • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule 1