Endangered Himalayan vulture rescued in Ctg
Local residents rescued a giant Himalayan vulture, a near-threatened species also known as the Himalayan griffon vulture, from the Sitakunda upazila coast in Chattogram. The bird was handed over to the upazila livestock office today.
Dr Tahmina Arju, livestock officer for Sitakunda upazila, confirmed the incident to The Business Standard, stating that two youths had rescued the Himalayan vulture from the Bhaterkhil coastal area two days ago.
"Upon receiving the information, we rescued it from them this afternoon and transported it to our veterinary clinic," she added.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
"The vulture weighs around 10 kilograms and appears to be very weak. There are no visible signs of injury on its body. We have notified the Wildlife Conservation Department about the recovery," she said.
Mohammad Rakib, resident of South Bhaterkhil, who rescued the vulture, said a fox had chased the bird while it was perched on the seashore near the mangrove forest.
"Seeing it too weak to fly, we rescued it and brought it home on Sunday morning. We provided it with chicken and water, taking care of its needs. Despite placing it in the open sky, it did not attempt to fly away. Later in the day, we informed the livestock officer about the situation," he added.
Dipannita Bhattacharjee, Chattogram Wildlife and Nature Conservation Officer, told TBS that the rescued vulture is a Himalayan Vulture, noting that winter is the time for their migration.
"The vulture may have become exhausted from flying a long distance from the Himalayas, choosing the coastal area for rest and food. Meanwhile, curious locals may have discovered it on the coast," she added.
She confirmed that the Wildlife Conservation Department is aware of the rescue and will soon take custody of the giant bird.
The Himalayan vulture is an Old World vulture native to the Himalayas and the adjoining Tibetan Plateau. It is one of the two largest Old World vultures and is listed as near-threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
