State Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Jayanta Mallabaruah carried out the soft release of 10 captive-bred vultures at the Jatayu Aviary in the Biswanath Wildlife Division of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve on Friday, August 9.

The released birds included five critically endangered Slender-billed Vultures (gyps tenuirostris) and five White-rumped Vultures (gyps bengalensis). Transferred from the Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre in Rani, Assam, the vultures underwent a three-month acclimatisation period at the aviary before being fitted with colour identification rings and GSM-GPS satellite transmitters for post-release monitoring.

This initiative marks the first-ever release of captive-bred Slender-billed Vultures equipped with GSM-GPS satellite transmitters anywhere in the world. The project was jointly undertaken by the Assam Forest Department, Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, and the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) to help restore critically endangered vulture populations.

• Key Participants: The event was attended by Pallav Lochan Das (MLA, Biswanath), MK Yadava (Special Chief Secretary), Dr Vinay Gupta (Chief Wildlife Warden), Dr C Ramesh (Field Director), and Padma Hazarika (MLA, Naduar).
• Second Facility Inaugurated: Minister Mallabaruah also inaugurated the Florican Eco-Tourism Gate at Naromari in the Biswanath Wildlife Division and participated in a brief vehicle safari.

The new eco-tourism gate on the North Bank of Kaziranga is designed to distribute visitor traffic more evenly across the landscape, easing pressure on the South Bank while creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for local communities. The area is known for wildlife such as the Greater One-horned Rhinoceros, Royal Bengal Tiger, Asiatic Elephant, Bengal Florican, and Eastern Swamp Deer.