A captive-bred Indian vulture released in Maharashtra's Melghat in January this year has covered an astonishing 3,334 km, soaring across states before reaching the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan, wildlife experts said on Wednesday.
The bird survived without any supplementary feeding in the wild, demonstrating the ability of captive-bred vultures to adapt to natural environments, locate food independently, and undertake long-distance movements, Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) director Kishor Rithe said.
This achievement represents a significant milestone for the vulture conservation programme, highlighting the potential of captive-bred release initiatives to help recover vulture populations in India, he said in a statement.
During its extensive voyage, the bird also visited the Satpura Tiger Reserve near Pachmarhi and Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, the country’s cheetah reintroduction site, before reaching the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve on Tuesday, he said.
