National Workshop on Vulture Conservation Held in Panchkula

Key facts

• Union Minister Bhupender Yadav inaugurated a national-level workshop on vulture conservation in Panchkula, Haryana, on International Vulture Awareness Day 2026.
• The workshop was organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Central Zoo Authority, Haryana Forest & Wildlife Department, Bombay Natural History Society, and Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre, Pinjore.
• Yadav emphasized a holistic ecosystem-oriented conservation approach covering multiple species, including vultures.
• India hosts a diverse range of resident and migratory vulture species such as White-rumped, Long-billed, and Slender-billed vultures.
• Vulture populations have sharply declined since the 1990s due to food chain disruption and the use of painkillers.
• Yadav called for a 'Whole of Government' and 'Whole of Society' approach and the creation of Vulture Safe Zones.
• The Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre, a collaborative initiative of the Haryana Forest Department and Bombay Natural History Society, is a key conservation breeding centre.
• In 2025-26, the centre housed 356 vultures, bred 35 chicks, released 87 vultures, transferred 90 birds, and trained 1,222 participants.
• A coffee table book titled 'Story of Jatayu: Saving India's Vulture' was released during the inaugural session.