Himalayan Vulture Breeds For The First Time In Assam State Zoo

News desk:
In a remarkable achievement for wildlife conservation, the Assam State Zoo celebrates a historic milestone as a pair of Himalayan Vultures (Gyps himalayensis) bred successfully for the first time in captivity in India.  The species, categorized as 'Near Threatened' with an estimated population of 66,000-334,000 individuals in the wild, witnessed a significant moment of hope in their conservation journey.
 Ten Himalayan vultures, previously rescued from various parts of Assam, were accommodated in a spacious 40 x 30 ft aviary, securely covered with galvanized mesh to ensure their safety.  After more than five years of nurturing, one pair finally formed in the flock, exhibiting their readiness to breed.
 The breeding of Himalayan Vultures in captivity is a remarkable feat, as these birds are common winter migrants to the Indian plains and residents of the high Himalayas.  Prior to this, no zoo in India had successfully bred this species, making the Assam State Zoo's accomplishment truly unprecedented.
Ashwin Kumar, the zoo's DFO, shared the institution's commitment to endangered animal breeding and ex-situ conservation.
 He said, "As one of the objectives of the zoo is to carry out the breeding of endangered animals and their ex-situ conservation following the concepts of Scientific Management of Captive animals, Assam State Zoo has been successful in the breeding of Himalayan Vulture (  Gyps himalayensis) and is the first record of Captive Breeding of the species in India. We are grateful to our Animal Keepers, veterinarians, other staff and of Sri Sachin Ranade of BNHS for this success story."