CHITWAN, March 5: Efforts by Chitwan National Park to conserve the IUCN Red Listed critically endangered white-rumped vultures are bearing fruit with nine chicks hatched in three months alone.
Vultures return to Shuklaphanta National Park
Earlier last year at the breeding centre in CNP, one chick was hatched only to die later while the figure was put at 2 two years ago.
The CNP has been into a drive to conserve the species of vulture and increase its number. The centre has 25 male and 31 female vultures at present, said CNP assistant conservation officer Bed Bahadur Khadka. "Although 15 female vultures laid eggs this year, only nine chicks have been hatched," he said. The vultures are put into separate four cages, two for laying eggs and two for others. Earlier, chicks of this type of vultures were brought from various countries and kept at the centre, he said.
It is a big achievement to have nine chicks hatched, said CNP Chief Conservation Officer Ram Chandra Kandel. Ornithologists have said the matter to having nine chicks hatched in this short span of time is a big achievement.
"This type of vultures may be extinct from the world within a few years if not conserved. This is a big achievement to have nine chicks hatched in the CNP not only to Nepal but also the world," said former Chairman of Nepal Bird Education Society, Basu Biradi.
Khadka said of the total 11 pairs of the vultures failing to lay eggs, preparations were underway to translocate them with tags fitted to their bodies at Jatayu Vulture Restaurant into Namuna Community Forest in Nawalparasi. A regular monitoring of the translocated vultures would also be conducted, he said. RSS
