Sighting of a different variety of the vulture family in Terai-central forest division’s Haldwani range has raised inquisitiveness of many wildlife experts about the presence of the hitherto endangered wildlife specie in this area.
These vultures seem to be a bit different from what had been found in this area earlier. They are bigger in size than what had been noticed earlier, said Kailash Chandra Kapil, forester of the Terai-central forest division’s Haldwani forest range, while talking to The Pioneer.
Kapil was the first forest official who observed presence of these vultures in the Gora Parao area of the Terai- central forest division.
The number of vultures could be around 60 flocking at a place in the Gora Parao area, he added.
Even the senior forest officials are not in a position to identify them. After visiting the site along with other senior forest officials, SP Singh, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Terai-central forest division, while talking to The Pioneer said that the advise of the experts are being taken in establishing the identity of these vultures and to study the presence of these vultures in this area. “Therefore, much can’t be said on this issue at this juncture. However, it is a good indication of presence of the rare variety of wildlife specie like vulture in this terai zone of the hill state,” he added.
It may be recalled that Himalayan Griffon, a rare variety of vulture, was also recovered from the Haldwani forest division’s Nandhaur valley in unhealthy conditions in December 2012. Then the said Himalayan Griffon was admitted to the veterinary clinic of the Nainital zoo for treatment and it got well subsequently.
Meanwhile, following the sighting of vultures in this Terai-bhabar belt of the mountainous State, wildlife experts here are of the view that sometimes the vultures which are mostly found in the upper Himalayan regions migrate to the lower Himalayan plains of the hill State in search of food.
Thus movements of endangered wildlife species like vultures in search of food from the upper Himalayan region to hitherto warm conditions of the plains of Uttarakhand is not unusual, but good for maintaining ecosystem, the wildlife exporters further said.
Generally, there is a perception nowadays about disappearance of the endangered species like vultures that use of banned drug substance i.e. diclofenac (human version) has been a serious threat to the wildlife species like vulture as the wildlife experts maintain here.