Melghat Emerges as a Vulture Conservation Hub

Why in News ?

The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has successfully released 15 critically endangered Indian vultures into the Melghat Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. This marks a significant step in India’s efforts to restore vulture populations, which suffered catastrophic declines due to veterinary drug toxicity and habitat stress.

Background: India’s Vulture Crisis and Revival Efforts

India once hosted over 99% of the world’s vulture population, but numbers crashed by more than 95% since the 1990s.
The primary cause was the veterinary drug diclofenac, lethal to vultures feeding on treated cattle carcasses.

In response:

• Diclofenac was banned for veterinary use in 2006.
• Conservation breeding centres were established by BNHS.
• Phased reintroduction into safe habitats became the next step.

The Melghat release represents a transition from captive breeding to wild restoration, a crucial milestone in species recovery.

Why Melghat Tiger Reserve Was Selected

Melghat offers an ideal ecological and social landscape for vulture revival:

• Low use of toxic veterinary drugs due to awareness campaigns
• Abundant natural prey and livestock carcasses
• Large, undisturbed forest tracts
• Presence of tribal communities with traditional coexistence practices
• Strong institutional support from forest authorities and BNHS

This makes Melghat a “vulture-safe zone” within Central India.

About Melghat Tiger Reserve

Location & Geography

• Situated in Maharashtra, along the Gavilgarh Hill (southern offshoot of the Satpura Range)
• First notified tiger reserve in Maharashtra
• “Melghat” literally means confluence of valleys, reflecting its rugged terrain
• Bounded by the Tapti River and Gawilgadh ridge

Vegetation

• Dominated by tropical dry deciduous forests
• Teak is the primary species, along with bamboo and mixed hardwoods

River System

• Catchment area for five tributaries of the Tapti:
  • Khandu, Khapra, Sipna, Gadga, and Dolar

Tribal Communities

• Korkus form the largest tribal group
• Other communities include Gond and Gawli
• Traditional forest dependence and coexistence shape conservation outcomes

Biodiversity

• Fauna: Tiger, leopard, sloth bear, Indian gaur, sambar, nilgai, dhole, hyena
• Avifauna: A stronghold of the critically endangered forest owlet
• Now emerging as a vulture conservation landscape

Ecological Importance of Vultures

Vultures are nature’s sanitation workers:

• Rapidly dispose of carcasses, preventing disease spread
• Reduce populations of feral dogs and rats
• Lower risks of rabies and zoonotic outbreaks
• Maintain ecological balance and nutrient cycling

Their decline previously contributed to public health crises, underlining their importance beyond wildlife conservation.

Conservation Challenges and Way Forward

Key Challenges

• Illegal use of toxic veterinary drugs
• Habitat fragmentation
• Power-line collisions
• Low reproductive rates of vultures

Way Forward

• Expansion of Vulture Safe Zones
• Monitoring of released birds through tagging
• Community engagement with livestock owners
• Strict enforcement of drug bans
• Integration of vulture conservation into tiger landscape management

Melghat’s success could serve as a replicable model for other reserves.