Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary offers a safe haven for vultures

As per the data from the first-ever tri-State synchronised vulture survey that was released recently, a total of 320 individual vultures were counted in the seven-protected areas

Himalayan griffon vulture sighted during the tri-State synchronised vulture survey in seven protected areas in Kerala ,Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

At a time when dwindling population of vulture species is a cause for concern for wildlife managers and ornithologists in the country, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS), the only protected area in the State which harbours the avian population, is turning out to be a major habitat of the bird species.

As per the data from the first-ever tri-State synchronised vulture survey that was released recently, a total of 320 individual vultures were counted in the seven-protected areas, including 51 individual vultures in WWS, spread over Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Long-billed vulture | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The two-day survey was conducted in seven protected areas, including Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala; Bandipur Tiger Reserve (TR), Nagarhole TR, Satyamangalam TR and Biligiri Ranganathan Swamy Temple Tiger Reserve in Karnataka as well as and Nellai forest division and Mudumalai tiger reserve in Tamil Nadu, WWS warden Dinesh Kumar told The Hindu.

Of the 320 individual vultures counted in the survey, there were 217 white-rumped vultures, 47 long-billed, 50 Red-headed, four Egyptian vultures and two Himalayan griffons, Mr. Kumar said.

The sighting of Himalayan griffon is only reported from Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, he added. The largest number of red-headed vultures is also reported from the sanctuary. As many as 12 camps were set up in the sanctuary for the survey and all the camps recorded vulture sightings, Mr. Kumar said adding that this was the first time that all the camps noted vulture sightings.

White-rumped vulture | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

In the previous survey, organised in February 2023, only nine out of the 12 camps recorded vultures. As many as 51 vultures were recorded from Wayanad district this time, up from 46 recorded in the last survey.

Vettathgor camp of South Wayanad Division is the only place outside the Sanctuary area where two species of vultures – white-rumped and red-head – were sighted, he added.

Red headed vulture | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

As many as 16 individual red-headed vultures were sighted in the sanctuary this time as against seven in the previous survey. But the sighting of white-rumped vultures dropped from 37 to 31 this time. Two long-billed vultures were sighted this time as against one in the last survey.

While two Himalayan griffon vulture species were sighted this time, the number was zero during the last survey. But there were no cenerous vulture sightings reported in the sanctuary this time as against one sighting in the previous survey.