MP CM releases 5 endangered vultures into wild, reaffirms resolve to conserve wildlife

Bhopal, Feb 24 (PTI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has released five endangered vultures into their natural habitat in the Halali Dam area near Bhopal and said the government is committed to protecting ecosystem-supporting wildlife.

MP has the largest number of vultures in any state, including migratory vultures. These birds play a significant role in maintaining the ecosystem, an official said.

CM Yadav on Monday evening released four Indian vultures (Gyps indicus) and one Cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus) into their natural habitat, he said.

The birds, equipped with high-precision GPS-GSM satellite transmitters, were released after a systematic acclimatisation and observation period at the Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre in Bhopal.

The tagging process was conducted under the supervision of a wildlife veterinarian in the presence of representatives from all relevant organisations and the forest department, the official said.

On the occasion, Yadav said the state government is committed to the conservation of ecosystem-supporting animals and birds.

"While Madhya Pradesh boasts the highest number of tigers, leopards, and other wildlife, it also ranks first in the country in vulture conservation," he pointed out.

The chief minister congratulated the forest department and local administration for their efforts to conserve vultures.

The initiative is an important step towards understanding the evolving vulture landscape of Central India. While Indian vultures generally remain confined to a single region, Cinereous vultures migrate long distances within the Central Asian Flyway, a major migratory bird corridor spanning over 30 countries, the official said.

In a significant step towards bird conservation, the Madhya Pradesh forest department, in collaboration with WWF-India and the Bombay Natural History Society, has initiated a satellite telemetry programme to monitor vulture movements and their distribution, he said.

Telemetry data provides valuable information about vultures' landscape use, movement patterns, and their response to anthropogenic pressures. This is helping to identify key resting places and feeding areas, understand their ecology in protected and human-dominated areas, and identify high-risk areas such as electrocution, poisoning, and habitat degradation, the official said.

The scientific evidence collected in this process will help develop more effective threat mitigation strategies and strengthen landscape-level conservation plans, including cross-border cooperation.

An integrated data-based and landscape-level conservation ecosystem for vulture protection using satellite telemetry has been developed in MP. This will conserve endangered vulture species and ensure their long-term role as guardians of environmental health, the official said.

In Indian tradition, vultures are considered a symbol of strength and honour. They also play an important role in the environmental ecosystem as nature's cleaners, help maintain environmental balance and also play a significant role in preventing the spread of diseases, he noted.

Madhya Pradesh has long been home to a rich vulture population in the country. Species such as the Indian Long-billed Vulture, Black Vulture, Egyptian Scavenger Vulture, and Himalayan Griffon are found in the state, the official said.

Recently, on the first day of Vulture Estimation-2026, more than 1,000 vultures were observed in the South Panna Forest Division, the highest number in recent years, he informed. PTI MAS GK