Detailed Notes
Where is the Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre in Assam Located?
Established in 2007 by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) in collaboration with the Assam Forest Department, the Rani centre is the only Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre in Northeast India and one of only four such facilities in the entire country. It focuses on saving critically endangered vultures, especially the White-rumped vulture and the Slender-billed vulture, through scientific captive breeding, rehabilitation, and long-term reintroduction programs.
Vulture conservation efforts in India began over two decades ago when scientists noticed a dramatic decline in vulture populations. Once considered scavengers of little importance, vultures were later recognized as essential to human health because they safely dispose of animal carcasses and prevent the spread of diseases. Their rapid decline was mainly caused by the veterinary drug diclofenac, which proved fatal when vultures fed on treated livestock carcasses. In response, breeding programs were launched as a last-resort conservation strategy.
At the Rani VCBC, the entire facility is protected by a perimeter electric fence, essential in this elephant-prone region. The centre includes multiple scientifically designed aviaries classified as nursery, holding, hospital, and colony aviaries, with five smaller enclosures and one large colony aviary. The colony aviary allows vultures to live in natural flock conditions, flap-fly freely, build their own nests, and engage in normal breeding behavior. Closed-circuit cameras monitor the birds without disturbing them.
Vultures at the centre are collected as young birds or received as rescued individuals from across Assam. Each bird is assigned an identification number, fitted with a lightweight PVC leg ring, and implanted with a microchip for lifelong monitoring. New arrivals undergo a quarantine period of at least 45 days, during which they are screened for diseases, injuries, and overall health before being moved into the main aviaries.
Vultures take about five years to mature and begin breeding. Once paired, breeding activity spans more than half the year, including nest building, incubation, and chick rearing. The year 2012 marked a historic milestone for the Rani centre with its first successful captive breeding of both White-rumped and Slender-billed vultures. Since then, approximately 75 vultures have been born and raised in captivity, and the centre currently houses around 47 Slender-billed vultures and 97 White-rumped vultures.
The long-term goal of the VCBC is to reintroduce captive-bred vultures into the wild once threats to their survival are removed. Studies have confirmed that diclofenac was the primary cause of vulture mortality in India, leading to bans on related veterinary drugs such as aceclofenac and ketoprofen. Another serious threat in Assam is poison baiting, where pesticide-laced carcasses unintentionally kill vultures. Conservation outreach and policy enforcement aim to eliminate these dangers.
Recently, the centre has supported the release of vultures into Kaziranga National Park and is planning innovative conservation initiatives such as a vulture restaurant in Kulsi, where safe carcasses are provided to support wild vulture populations. With its scientific breeding success, conservation leadership, and regional importance, the Rani VCBC stands as a cornerstone of vulture recovery efforts in Northeast India.Q