BHUBANESWAR: The citizens of the State can now have a glimpse of large diurnal bird vulture, at Nandankanan Zoological Park. A vulture conservation breeding centre was inaugurated at the zoo on Saturday by Forest and Environment Minister Bijayshree Routray on the occasion of 59th Foundation Day of Nandankanan Zoo.
The Central Zoo Authority of India had taken an initiative for establishing five vulture conservation breeding centres at Gujarat’s Junagadh zoo, Bhopal, Hyderabad and Bhubaneswar in 2007, and at Ranchi in 2009, following which the centre was constructed in an off-exhibit area of Nandankanan in 2011-12.
“Central Zoo Authority had given permission to the zoo for getting the white-backed vultures from the vulture conservation breeding centres at Pinjore in Haryana and Rani in Assam. However, for some reasons the two centres did not provide the birds,” Deputy Director, Nandankanan Zoological Park, Jayant Kumar Das told The Express.
Nandankanan officials later approached Central Zoo Authority in 2016 regarding the mater, following which the authority asked the zoo for getting long-billed vultures from Gandhi Zoological Park in Gwalior. “At least 12 long-billed vultures were brought from Gwalior on November 27.
About 2 kg of buffalo meat with bone is being provided to each vulture twice a week,” Das said, adding that the activity pattern of vultures was being monitored through two cameras and one PTZ camera having infrared facility.The centre was constructed on 0.3 acres land and is surrounded by about seven acres of undisturbed forested land with financial assistance from Central Zoo Authority.