BENGALURU: A four-month-old Egyptian vulture was released in the hillocks of Ramanagara -- the state’s first vulture sanctuary -- on Tuesday.
The bird was released by veterinarians and volunteers of People For Animals (PFA) and the Karnataka Forest Department. Officials said this was the first such release in the hillocks.
According to Dr. Col. Nawaz Shariff, chief veterinarian, PFA, the bird was found abandoned, dehydrated and in a bad health condition in an apartment complex in Whitefield when it was around two-and-a-half months old. He said locals handed it over to the PFA.
The bird was given emergency medical treatment and even oxygen supply. The bird was initially hand reared, it was then taught to fly and perch for itself. The veterinarians placed it with kites, so that it can learn how to feed by itself and fly.
“After we found that the bird had become confident to eat and fly, a thorough medical examination was done and after the veterinary parameters were found satisfactory, it was released in the Ramanagara hillocks,” Dr Shariff said. He said this was the third release of rare bird species and the second Egyptian vulture. The last release of an Egyptian vulture was in 2013 in Dandeli.
Deputy Conservator of Forests, Ramanagara, Devaraj V, said, “A close watch is being kept and the bird seems to have adapted quite well. For the first few minutes, it stood still exploring around and then took a confident flight off the ground. This is an attempt to help in protecting the dwindling population and ensure its survival.”
According to the last assessment of the Karnataka forest department, there are seven long billed vultures and 13 Egyptian vultures in the sanctuary.
Dr Shariff said there are very few vultures in the Whitefield area. Their population is dwindling because of scarcity of food. They are now feeding on rotting garbage.