UP to Establish World's First Asian King Vulture Conservation and Breeding Centre

Tags: State News

Uttar Pradesh (UP) is establishing the 'Jatayu Conservation and Breeding Centre,' the world's first conservation and breeding centre for Asian king vultures (also known as red-headed vultures or Pondicherry vultures) in Maharajganj, UP.

An Overview of the News

• This initiative aims to improve the population of the Asian king vultures, which have been listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)'s red list since 2007.

  • Asian king vultures are endangered due to habitat degradation and the overuse of diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used in domestic animals, which becomes poisonous for vultures.

• The centre aims to ensure the good health of growing vultures and provide them with a pair. After the female lays an egg, the pair will be released into their natural environment.

• The enclosure is accessible only to the keeper and is monitored 24x7 by Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras.

Note: The Asian King Vulture is one of the 9 species of vultures found in India.

First in the state

• The first Chief Minister of the state – Pt. Govind Ballabh Pant

• First Deputy Chief Minister of the state - Chaudhary Narayan Singh

• The first woman Chief Minister of the state and the country - Sucheta Kriplani

• The first woman governor of the state and the country - Sarojini Naidu