Ramadevara Betta Vulture Sanctuary: Indian Long-Billed Vulture Spotted
The rare sighting of the Indian Long-Billed Vulture (Indian Vulture) at Ramadevara Betta Vulture Sanctuary underscores the success of protected area-based conservation efforts.
- Ramadevara Betta Vulture Sanctuary is situated in the Ramadevara Betta Hill Range in Ramanagara, Karnataka.
- It is India’s first and only vulture sanctuary established in 2012 and notified Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZ) in 2017 to safeguard endangered vulture species.
- The Sanctuary is home to three of the nine vulture species found in India — the Indian Long-Billed Vulture, Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus), and White-Backed Vulture (Gyps bengalensis).
- Indian Long-Billed Vulture (Gyps indicus) is a medium-sized, bulky scavenger native to Asia (India, Pakistan, and Nepal), primarily feeding on animal carcasses, with females being smaller than males.
- They prefer savannas, open landscapes near villages, cities, and cultivated areas.
- Their population has declined by 97-99% due to poisoning from diclofenac, a veterinary drug once used for livestock.
- IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
