A Egyptian Vulture, a very rare species which is on the verge of extinction, was sighted atop a small hill at Banabila village in Ganjam district on Sunday.
Dr Jyoti Prasad Pattnaik, a self-trained bird enthusiast and founder of Berhampur Birds, sighted the rare bird in the Bhetanai area while he was recording the movement of the endangered blackbucks in the region.
“I was thrilled to witness such kind of bird atop a small hill near the Banabila village,” said Pattnaik. However, the locals said they have not seen a vulture for ages and these birds may be a kind of kites, which are common in this region.
The number of vulture is going down by the day due to use of pain killer drug Diclofenac in sick animals and vulture which survive on the carcasses of the dead animals succumb to the ill-effects of the drug. The discovery of the bird ensures a healthy bio-habitat for such birds in the area, Dr Pattnaik said.