"Buoyed by the increasing number of scavenging birds, we are opening a vulture 'restaurant' at Kamlapur range (Sironcha) on Saturday," said Gadchiroli chief conservator of forest (CCF) TSK Reddy. This will be the seventh 'vulture restaurant' in Gadchiroli.
Currently, there are six 'vulture restaurants' in Gadchiroli — Marakbodi, Madetukum, Nimgaon, Yeoli, Navegaon, Krupala and Porla.
People inform the forest department in case of the death of an animal in their village. The forest department then tests the dead animal, buys it from the owner and transports it to the vulture restaurant.
Kamlapur range forest officer (RFO) Atul Deokar said the new restaurant will be spread over 10,000 sq ft. Right in the centre, a 5-feet-high 'dining table' (bamboo or cement) has been built on which cattle carcass is laid out for the vultures. Water arrangement too has been made close by.
"We pay Rs 250 per dead cow or bull. The dead cattle have to be diclofenac-free. Survey has found that farmers do not use the painkiller drug, mostly responsible for death of vultures," said Deokar.
Deokar further added the vultures in Kamlapur were being tracked since October last when there were just 15-16 birds "However, in villages adjoining Kamlapur, on August 23, we saw 70-80 white-backed vultures," he said.
"The number may be even more if clusters like Kunghada in Chamorsi and Nimgaon in Dhanora are taken into account where we are into conservation of vultures for over a decade," said raptor scientist Dr Ajay Poharkar.
Dr Poharkar's National Association for Welfare of Animals and Research (NAWAR) is working for conservation since 2003 and also operating a vulture restaurant in Nimgaon since 2005 in Dhanora tehsil.
On increasing number of vultures in Gadchiroli, Dr Poharkar says sighting of more vultures doesn't indicate resident population. "You need to count their nests. Vultures fly till 100km and you cannot rule the birds coming from neighbouring Chhattisgarh," he added.
The wildlife wing also plans to declare a 'safe vulture zone' in Vidarbha. Chief wildlife warden Sarjan Bhagat informed Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has submitted a revised proposal to create 'Vulture Safe Zone' here. The project will be jointly carried out by forest department and BNHS.
"It will be implemented in an area of 30,000 sqkm in the districts of Nagpur, Bhandara, Gondia, Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, Yavatmal and Wardha including the protected areas of Pench and Tadoba. The zone will be made diclofeanc-free with targeted advocacy and awareness programme with all stake holders from cattle owners to drug controlling authorities and animal husbandry commissioner," said a BNHS official.
An awareness programme will be opened at 3pm by head of forest force (HOFF) AK Saxena on Saturday.
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