World’s First Asian King Vulture Center – Uttar Pradesh

In Maharajganj, Uttar Pradesh, work has begun on the world’s first center to care for and protect the Asian king vulture, which is also known as the red-headed vulture. The species has been on the WildLife International’s “Red List” since 2007 because it is in very great danger. The goal of this project was to keep it alive.

What the Asian King Vulture Means

The Asian king vulture used to live all over India, but diclofenac poisoning killed a lot of them. People gave this non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug to their pets, but it killed the birds that were eating the dead animals. When this important species was added to Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, steps had to be taken right away to keep it safe.

Goals and Facilities at the Center

A lot of high-tech tools are used at the Jatayu Conservation and Breeding Center to watch over and care for these vultures all the time. A science officer and a biologist work at the center to make sure that people don’t get too close to the birds. There are also strict security measures in place, such as CCTV tracking. This species is getting better with the help of special food and a place where they can breed safely.

Plan for Breeding and Conservation

They only lay one egg a year and stay with the same person their whole lives, which is called monogamy. The center’s plan for raising them is to pair them up. The center is set up in a way that will make it easy for these birds to return to the wild in the future. It’s important to slowly increase the number of animals so that they can be put back into their natural environment once they’ve had enough babies.