Guwahati: In a major step towards vulture conservation, six captive-bred White-rumped Vultures were shifted on Saturday to a specially constructed release aviary at Nalapara in the Rani Range of Kamrup district.
The aviary, built on forest land under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), was inaugurated by Dr. Ashwini Kumar, Director of Assam State Zoo, who released one of the birds into the facility. Roji Barman, RFO, Rani Range, also participated in the ceremony.
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Equipped with perches, feeding stations, water troughs, solar fencing, and caretaker rooms, the aviary will provide the subadult vultures—each marked with blue leg rings—a safe environment to acclimatize for about three months before their final release into the wild.
The birds had recently undergone health checks by Dr. Krishna, veterinarian, with blood samples tested at the Veterinary College, Khanapara, confirming they are in good condition. According to Ranade, Centre Manager, the release will follow the internationally recognized Soft Release Method, with vultures fitted with satellite tags to enable real-time monitoring through satellite tracking and field observations.
The initiative is part of a long-term programme jointly spearheaded by the Assam Forest Department and the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) to revive vulture populations, which have suffered drastic declines in past decades due to causes like diclofenac poisoning.
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“This step brings us closer to restoring a healthy population of White-rumped Vultures in Assam’s skies,” officials said, underlining the need for continued scientific monitoring and sustained conservation efforts.
