A rare Himalayan Griffon Vulture, which was captured from the Eidgah cemetery of Kanpur’s Colonelganj, was handed over to Uttar Pradesh Forest Department.
The people of the Kanpur village, where the bird was captured, found it hard to contain their excitement over the rare bird’s sighting. Many even reached the spot to pose with the bird. According to reports, in news agency ANI, the capture was made over the weekend.
Experts said the wing span of the bird is over ‘6-feet’. The Griffon Vulture is one the biggest bird species found in the Himalayas, said experts.
“Himalayan Griffon vultures are now nearly threatened. They are called ecosystem engineers,” says Indian Forest Service officer Praveen Kaswan in one of his tweets last year when he rehabilitated one of the rare birds, reported the agency.
Kaswan took a look at the visuals shared on Twitter also by ANI and confirmed: “It looks like a Himalayan Griffon Vulture. Sub-adults are migratory, adults live on higher reaches. They can live upto 40-45 years of age.”
Their large wingspan helps these vultures soar high in the sky searching for carcasses on the ground. It is a documented fact that by feeding on the carcasses, vultures prevent diseases from spreading to humans.
During the winter season, Himalayan Griffon Vultures are seen in Terai and adjoining areas — a kind of local migration for the species, added experts.
(With inputs from ANI)
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