West Champaran: Concrete efforts are under way to revive dwindling vulture populations at Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR), Bihar’s only tiger reserve, where officials say the scavenging birds are slowly returning after years of decline. Once seen in the hundreds across the forested landscape of West Champaran, vultures had become a rare sight in recent years, reflecting a nationwide collapse in their numbers.
Now, the state forest department is developing a dedicated conservation centre across nearly five acres in the Ganauli forest range under VTR’s Division Two. The initiative follows the clearance of encroached land in Compartment T-22, reclaimed last month to make way for protective infrastructure aimed at providing safe roosting, feeding and breeding conditions.
Vikas Ahlawat, divisional forest officer of VTR Division Two, said construction of essential facilities is progressing on priority. “The objective is to ensure a secure habitat with assured food availability,” he said. Tall semal trees in the compartment have already emerged as natural roosting sites, with forest staff reporting sightings of 40 to 50 vultures daily. Officials estimate the population in the immediate area has risen to around 150 after systematic feeding measures were introduced.
Under the programme, carcasses of dead livestock are placed at designated sites near roosting trees to support the birds’ diet. Local residents have been urged to inform forest officials when cattle die rather than disposing of them indiscriminately, a step authorities say is critical to sustaining the recovery.
Conservationists note that many of the vultures arriving in Ganauli appear to be crossing the border from Nepal in search of food. Saurabh Verma, a field biologist with the World Wide Fund for Nature, said the increasing sightings suggest the habitat is becoming viable again. Plans are also in place to construct water holes, monitoring perches and awareness centres to strengthen long-term conservation efforts.
The reserve and its adjoining villages — including Champapur, Sakhuanwa, Dhoomwatand, Bankatwa, Mahadeva and Rupnagar — have recorded several rare species, among them the Himalayan griffon, white-rumped vulture, Indian vulture, red-headed vulture, Eurasian griffon, Egyptian vulture, cinereous vulture and slender-billed vulture. Officials say sustained habitat protection and community cooperation will determine whether the fragile comeback can be secured.
