Haryana breeds white backed vultures in captivity

Chandigarh, Mar 27 (UNI) Haryana is the first state in the country to be successful in breeding the white backed vultures which had nested in captivity at the Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre at Pinjore.

Haryana Minister of Forests and Tourism Kiran Choudhry told reporters here yesterday that this pair of vultures was from Haryana which had laid egg for the third consecutive year.

She said the chick was 55 days old and had been named ''Vibhu'' after the scientist, Dr Vibhu Prakash who had been taking care of these vultures.

She said for the posterity there was a need to save these vultures from extinction and after this chick survived the world focus would be here as it was great achievement to breed this species of vulture in captivity.

She said doubts about breeding these vultures in captivity to some extent had been laid to rest with the hatching of this nestling.

Ms Choudhry said these vultures were on the verge of extinction and Haryana Forests Department and Bombay Natural History Society had been working jointly since the year 2001 in order to save these vultures from extinction.

She said the earlier nestlings could not survive as some were very young and also due to the fluctuations in the temperature.

The Minister said she would write a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh requesting him to make use of diclofenac drug as illegal as even after the ban it was manufactured and was used at some places.

UNI MA SP PM0909