Vulture breeding in Nandankanan to begin soon

--26 endangered species to be bred in country: CZA

BHUBANESWAR: With the technical guidance of the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), conservation breeding of endangered species like vulture will be started in the Nandankanan Zoological Park here very soon to protect the species from extinction, said Zoo top officials in a four-day workshop on ‘Conservation Breeding of Endangered Species in Zoological Parks’ organised by Nandankanan Zoological Park in association with the CZA and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) here on Monday.  

The zoo has already a Pangolin breeding centre and doing very good job in breeding the endangered species, said Zoo assistant director Kamal Lochan Purohit, adding, “As a coordinating zoo selected by the CZA for breeding of pangolin and vulture, we are waiting for stocks (mother bird) to start the breeding.”

“After successful breeding of white tigers, gharials and captive breeding of Indian pangolin, vulture is another step in that direction,” said a top official of the Zoo.

Attending the workshop, CZA member secretary BS Bonal said they have already launched breeding of 23 species including Red Panda, Snow Leopard and Pangolin out of total 73 endangered wild animal species. Now the CZA has identified 26 priority species to include under conservation breeding programme (CBP), he added.

The CZA also identified a few coordinating zoos and participating zoos to carry out the programme. It would provide 100 per cent financial assistance to the selected zoos for appointment of biologist, a veterinarian or veterinary assistant and a keeper. Remaining supervisory things will be maintained by the concerned State Government, Bonal said, adding, “Fund for the CBP should be released in installment basis like 50 per cent in first phase, 30 per cent in second phase and the rest in the last phase.”

Targets of the present workshop were to prepare CBP plan for long term conservation of identified endangered species as a part of Species Recovery Plan.           

The workshop was attended by more than 36 participants of eight States form Eastern and North-East States of the country. Resource persons from WII, Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES) of Hyderabad, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, CZA and other eminent zoo experts attended the workshop. Conservation Action Plan for 21 endangered species will be prepared in the workshop, said Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) JD Sharma.

State Forest and Environment Department secretary RK Sharma inaugurated the workshop. Among others, WII Professor Dr PC Tyagi, Nandankanan Zoo director Dr Sudarsan Panda and deputy director Manoj V Nair were present.