Breeding of Himalayan Vulture Gyps himalayensis Hume, 1869 (Aves: Accipitriformes: Accipitridae) in the Assam State Zoo, Guwahati, Assam, India

Authors

  • Sachin Ranade Vulture Conservation Breeding Center, Belguri, Rani, Assam 781131, India.
  • Jay Gore Vulture Conservation Breeding Center, Belguri, Rani, Assam 781131, India. https://orcid.org/0009-0002-6946-3014
  • Ashwini Kumar Assam State Zoo cum Botanical Garden, Zoo Road, Japorigog, Guwahati, Assam 781005, India.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.8607.15.7.23601-23605

Keywords:

Captive breeding, food consumption, hand rearing, high altitude species, vulture nestling, weight gain

Abstract

Himalayan Vulture Gyps himalayensis has been bred successfully at the Assam State Zoo, Guwahati in 2022. This is the first record of captive breeding of the species in India. The adults were kept in a display aviary in the Zoo where they constructed a nest on ground and laid an egg.  The nestling was hand reared in temperature and humidity-controlled boxes and air-conditioned room. It was fed on goat meat and bone pieces and the consumption records maintained. The records of weight gain and body growth were maintained. It took about five months to fledge out. 

References

Ali, S. & S.D. Ripley (1983). Handbook of the birds of India and Pakistan together with those of Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. Compact ed. Oxford University Press, Delhi, xlii+737 pp.

Beall, F.B.C. (1992). A successful hatching and rearing of the Lappet-faced Vulture (Torgos trachiliotus) at the Baltimore Zoo. AAZPA Regional Conference Proceedings 53–58

Botha, A.J., J. Andevski, C.G.R. Bowden, M. Gudka, R.J. Safford, J. Tavares & N.P. Williams (2017). Multi-species Action Plan to Conserve African-Eurasian Vultures. CMS Raptors MOU Technical Publication No. 4, CMS Technical Series No. 33, Coordinating Unit of the CMS Raptors MOU, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Bowden, C.G.R., V. Prakash, S. Ranade, A. Routh, R.D. Jakati, R.J. Cuthbert, A.R. Rahmani, R.E. Green, N. Prakash & J. Parry-Jones (2012). Conservation breeding for the future release of the Critically Endangered Asian Gyps vultures – progress of the programme in South Asia and why it is so important. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 109(1 & 2): 43–45

Diebold, E.N. & E.S. White (1989). The husbandry of the Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus) in North American Zoos. American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums (AAZPA) Regional Conference Proceedings, 651–661 pp. https://eurekamag.com/research/021/939/021939305.php

Gardener, A. (1980). Breeding the Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus. The Journal of the Avicultural Society 86(1): 61–66.

Lague, S.L. (2017). High-altitude champions: birds that live and migrate at altitude. Journal of Applied Physiology 123: 942–950

Mendelssohn, H. & U. Marder (1983). Hand-rearing Israel’s Lappet-faced Vulture for future captive breeding (Torgos tracheliotys negevensis). International Zoo Yearbook 23(i): 47–51.

Sarker, S.U. & M. Iqbal (1997). Hatching and rearing of Indian White-backed vulture Gyps bengalensis in captivity. Vulture News 37: 21–27

Schlee, M.A. (1989). Breeding the Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis at the Paris Menagerie. International Zoo Yearbook 28: 234–240

Schlee, M.A. (1998). Hand-rearing Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture Gyps ruepppellii at Paris Menagerie, Milwaukee County Zoo and Burger’s Zoo, Arnhem. International Zoo Yearbook 36: 179–194

Zwart, P. & J.W.W. Louwman (1978). Feeding a hand-reared Andean Condor and King Vulture Vultur gryphus and Sarcoramphus papa at Wassenaar Zoo. International Zoo Yearbook 20: 276–277.

Zwart, P., M.H. Van der Hage, F.J.M. van Rest & J.W.W. Louwman (1991). Hand raising a Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) with the Aid of a Commercial Cat-food. Der Zoologische Garten 61(3): 149–156.

Downloads

Published

26-07-2023 — Updated on 26-07-2023

Versions

Issue

Vol. 15 No. 7 (2023)

Section

Short Communications

License

Copyright (c) 2023 Sachin Ranade, Jay Gore, Ashwini Kumar

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors own the copyright to the articles published in JoTT.  This is indicated explicitly in each publication. The authors grant permission to the publisher Wildlife Information Liaison Development (WILD) Society to publish the article in the Journal of Threatened Taxa. The authors recognize WILD as the original publisher, and to sell hard copies of the Journal and article to any buyer. JoTT is registered under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY), which allows authors to retain copyright ownership.  Under this license the authors allow anyone to download, cite, use the data, modify, reprint, copy and distribute provided the authors and source of publication are credited through appropriate citations (e.g., Son et al. (2016). Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of the southeastern Truong Son Mountains, Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam. Journal of Threatened Taxa 8(7): 8953–8969. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.2785.8.7.8953-8969). Users of the data do not require specific permission from the authors or the publisher.