Unravelling Vulture Behaviour via a Eurasian Griffon

Eurasian Griffon to be sat-tagged, released in the wild today ahead of hard release of captively bred vultures

- ANURAAG SINGH @Bhopal

One-year-old Eurasian Griffon vulture — one of the three migratory vulture species visiting Madhya Pradesh during winters — could play a key role in perhaps the first of its kind hard release (releasing in the wild) of captively bred vultures in central India.

The male Eurasian Griffon vulture, which appeared tamed and was rescued from Satna forest division of MP's Vindhya region, after it twice strayed into human habitats without fear, has since January 29, been at the dedicated Vulture Conservation and Breeding Centre — a collaborative initiative of the MP Forest Department and the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) near the Kerwa Dam in Bhopal.

"We'll possibly release it with a satellite tag on Saturday on an experimental basis for studying its movement, dietary and ecological behaviour. The study of the data generated through the satellite tag would be of critical importance in the planned hard release of four Indian Long Billed and two White-Rumped Vultures some months later," additional principal chief conservator of forests (APCCF-Wildlife) at MP Forest Department L Krishnamurthy told TNIE on Friday.

Importantly, the four Indian Long Billed and the two White-Rumped Vultures are among 85-plus captive-ly bred Indian resident species vultures at the conservation and breeding centre in Bhopal. They are currently housed in the holding aviary neighbouring the one where the rescued Eurasian Griffon vulture has been accommodated since January 29 with two captive bred Indian Long-Billed vultures.

Experts from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) will aid the joint team of the state forest department and the BNHS in releasing the Eurasian Griffon vulture into the wild near the Halali Dam at the trijunction of Bhopal, Vidisha and Raisen districts of central Madhya Pradesh.