Tura, March 24: A sensitization cum training programme on Vulture Conservation was on Friday, organized by the Divisional Forest Officer, East and West Garo Hills, Wildlife division at CF Conference Hall Dakopgre in Tura. The programme was organised in collaboration with the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre, Rani Assam.
During the programme, Sachin P Ranade, Sr. Centre Manager, Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre, Kamrup, Rani Assam highlighted the important role of Vultures as nature’s most efficient scavengers which maintains a healthy environment by feeding on the animal carcasses and thereby prevent outbreak and spread of various infectious diseases. However, vultures are on the verge of extinction in India and therefore, the Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre (VCBC) has been started in Assam in collaboration with Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) to save the vultures present in the region from extinction, he said.
The official informed that one of the causes of the drastic decline of vulture population is due to the use of anti anti-inflammatory drug used as a painkiller for cattle which enters the body of vultures and damages the kidneys as they feed on such carcasses, causing their deaths. The official informed that to prevent their possible extinction, the Bombay Natural History Society and Forest Department of Assam have jointly initiated the conservation breeding programme in Kamrup, Assam and the captive bred vultures would be released in the wild.
Others who attended the programme included, Divisional Forest Officer, East & West Garo Hills Wildlife Division and incharge Divisional Forest Officer, Social Forestry Division, Tura Rupankar Marak, Officials of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Department, Tura, Members of Various NGOs for Environment protection and preservation, staff of Forest Department, Tura were among others present during the programme.