Vulture Conservation

 Vulture numbers have declined by as much as 90% in some species in India since  the 1990s in one of the world’s most drastic declines in bird populations.  Between the 1990s and 2007, the numbers of three presently critically endangered species, the White-rumped, long-billed, and slender-billed vultures  decreased massively with 97% of the species having been wiped out.There are 9 species of Vultures in India and all nine species have been  reported from Himachal Pradesh.The Wildlife Wing Unit at Pong Lake has set up 3 vulture-feeding stations or restaurants, located at Nagrota Suriyan, Jawali, and Jambal on the periphery of the Pong Lake,  each ‘restaurant’ is between 1 and 1.5 hectares in extent. 

 The status of vultures in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, has shown  signs of improvement in the last decade due to conservation measures like the one undertaken in Pong,  including the ban on diclofenac and targeted awareness campaigns. While  challenges remain, these efforts have laid a foundation for the recovery and  long-term conservation of vultures in the region.