Maharashtra: 4 at-risk vultures rescued, wing-tagged and set free

PUNE: Ela Foundation, state forest department and Seescap organisation, wing tagged and released four white-rumped

vultures

(Gyps bengalensis) in Shrivardhan and Mhasala in Raigad district recently, a first such initiative in the country.

Sunil Limaye, principal chief conservator of forest, told TOI that these critically endangered vultures were rescued as juveniles in March when their nest was destroyed in a storm. Shrivardhan-based conservationist Premsagar Mestri of Seescap rescued them and nurtured them with help from the local range forest office. Each chick weighed around 2.5kg at the time of the rescue.

Mestri and the forest department contacted Pune-based Ela Transit Treatment Centre run by noted ornithologist Satish Pande for assistance in nurturing the vultures. "They were well-cared for and fed and were growing well. We decided not to release them till the end of the monsoon since storms and cyclones had damaged a large number of coconut trees where these species nest," Pande said.

Since he has been monitoring their development, Pande realised earlier this month that they were ready to be released.

"We then decided to ring and wing tag them so that their journey could be traced which will yield information that will assist in their conservation. Ela Foundation is a pioneer in ringing and wing tagging birds in the state," he said.

The vultures were weighed, their biometrics and blood tests were done for fitness. "We put rings on their right claw and wing tagged them (a U-shape red tag fixed on the leathery part of the wings). Two vultures were released in Shrivardhan and the other two in Mhasala on October 23," Pande said. Each bird weighed around 5.3kg.

Limaye said, "This will help us to gather information about the journey they undertake after release, what range they cover, how long do they travel, where do they stay and also their life span."

Pande said that the tags will help them to monitor the vultures and check the safety of their habitat.

"We want bird lovers to know about the tagging. If they notice these tagged vultures, they should contact Seescap or Ela Foundation, which will maintain the record of their movements and health. The tags can easily be seen by bird watchers and the contact details on the tags can be read through the normal binoculars used by bird watchers," he added.

Ela Foundation and the state forest department have been collaborating for vulture conservation since 2013 with the help of surveys and corrective measures to arrest their dwindling numbers.

Almost three decades ago, diclofenac was found to be toxic to vultures even in small doses, causing kidney failure. It caused uric acid to build up in the birds' blood and crystallized around their internal organs-a condition called visceral gout.