Catching of targeted 30 vulture chicks for the Vulture
Conservation and Breeding Center (VCBC) has been successfully completed. All
chicks are now safely placed inside the quarantine aviary at Biodiversity
Conservation Center (BCC/NTNC), Sauraha and in good health. The VCBC,
established jointly by BCN, National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) and
Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) in April 2008,
is now home for 44 critically endangered oriental white-rumped vulture Gyps
bengalensis. The center aims to collect 25 pairs each of oriental white-rumped
vulture and slender billed vulture Gyps tenurirostris and breed them in captivity.
The VCBC intends to reintroduce the birds into the wild when the outside
environment is deemed safe for vultures.
The 30 chicks were collected from Maitahwa and Buddi of
Kapilvastu (8), Chisapani and Bardaghat of Nawalparasi (6), Pokhara Valley,
Kaski (3), around Rampur Valley of Palpa/Syangja) (7), Bijouri of Dang (2),
Beli of Kailali (3), Laljhadi of Kanchanpur (1).
A core team of Richard Cuthbert and Steve Lucocq from RSPB;
Anand Chaudhary and Tulsi Subedi from BCN and Ram Tamang from NTNC-BCC collected
the chicks with a wider support team from BCN, NTNC, DNPWC, Prithvi Narayan
Campus-Pokhara, Parahawking/Maya Devi-Pokhara, Chisapani CFUG-Nawalparasi,
Communities around Rampur Valley (Palpa/Syangja), Communities in N Kapilvastu
district, Duttha Rana-Kanchanpur, Earth-Dhangadhi and Beli CFUG-Dhangadhi,
ESDRC-Dang and TAL-Dhangadhi.
The process involved several months of field monitoring,
identification of nesting colonies and trees with suitable chicks by BCN's
Vulture Conservation Program staff. After the appropriate nests were
identified, a team of specialist tree surgeons from RSPB climbed the trees to
collect chicks. These chicks were transported back to the center in safe boxes.
A detailed health check up was carried out and weight taken of each chick
before they were released into the quarantine aviary at BCC. After 45 days in
the quarantine aviairy, they will be transported to the main aviaries at the
VCBC.