Why in the News?

The first-ever instance of captive breeding of the Himalayan vulture in India has been successfully recorded at the Assam State Zoo in Guwahati by researchers.

About Himalayan Vulture:

• Scientific Name: Gyps himalayensis
• It is a rare and the largest bird species native to the Himalayas.
• Habitat:
• The Himalayan vulture primarily inhabits higher regions of the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau, typically found at elevations above 1500 meters.
• This species has a distribution range that extends from western China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan to the eastern part of the Himalayan mountain range, including India, Nepal, and Bhutan, and further to central China and Mongolia.
• Description:
• This vulture is impressively large, featuring a sandy brown plumage with a pale, featherless head. In flight, it displays black primaries and a distinctive small-headed, squared-winged appearance.
• Himalayan vultures are usually spotted alone or in small groups, but they gather in large flocks when feeding on a carcass.
• Conservation status:
• The Himalayan vulture is categorized as "Near Threatened" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
• To ensure its preservation, the species is covered under the Multi-species Action Plan (MsAP) for the conservation of African-Eurasian vultures and is also included in national Action Plans in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Cambodia.
• Threats:
• The most significant potential threat to this vulture species is believed to be mortality resulting from the ingestion of diclofenac and other vulture-toxic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), commonly used in livestock, particularly in South Asia.