Thailand breeds first red-headed vulture successfully in 30 years

In what comes as a major milestone in wildlife conservation efforts, a zoo in Thailand has been able to successfully breed a red-headed vulture for the first time in over 30 years. TheZoological Park Organization (ZPO) ofThailand achieved the rare feat which has only been repeated once previously.

The Zoo had been attempting to breed the endangered vulture species, also known as the Asian king vulturefor over 18 years. The Zoo officials said they were hoping that the caged vultures may mate naturally without any help. However, upon receiving no eggs over the years, the authorities realised that it was time to take action.

“After years of attempts, the emergence of this red-headed vulture has allowed scientists to discover how to breed them in the future. They will know how they should set up the environment and the atmosphere for the vulture,"Attapon Srihayrun, director general of ZPO was quoted as saying by Reuters.

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“Once we have the first newborn Red-headedVulture, we will have the second, third, fourth and so on. Then, when we have an ample population, we will release them back to nature."

The emergence of theRed-headedVulture which had gone extinct in 1992 and is listedcritically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature is a massive feat and could help revive their numbers yet again.

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Vultures and cause of their decline

The bird weighs anywhere around 3.5 to 6.3 kg with the wingspan being 1.99 to 2.6 metres wide. The adult male red-headed vultures have white (or pale) eyes while adult females have dark eyes.

Akin to most vultures, this breed also does not like to make a lot of vocalisations. Instead, it prefers to soar high up in the sky in silence and forage for food.

Throughout South Asia, vultures once roamed the skies in ample numbers, However, since the mid-90s and early 2000s, there has been a steep decline in their numbers.

The scientists had a tough time gauging what could be the cause for the decline. As it turns out, the use of a medicinecalleddiclofenac that most people give to their livestock was causing the death of vultures, including the majesticAsian king vulture.

After thedomestic animals died and vultures fed on them,diclofenac got into their system. It actedasa poison and madethem sick with most vultures dying due to renal failure. Since then, there has been an active campaign to avoid the use ofdiclofenac to treat livestock across the region.

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Vultures are natural scavengers and have an active role to play in the ecology of any place. Their absence can have serious ramifications. Hence, the hatching of the baby vulture in Thailand is being seen as a major breakthrough.

(With inputs from agencies)

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