Vultures caught from nature from different parts of the country and kept in an enclosure in the Nawalparasi-based Vulture Restaurant are to be released to their natural habitat on November 9.
Among vultures remaining under the care of Vulture Breeding Center at Kasara, Chitwan, six were shifted to Nawalparasi on April 15 this year.
According to Chitwan National Park chief conservation officer Ramchandra Kandel, a technicians' team has been there in Nawalparasi to examine health condition of vultures going to be released back to nature. Nepal Bird Conservation Program officer Krishna Bhusal said health checkup reports of all vultures are fine.
Besides, arrangements have been made for feeding vultures inside the enclosure and outside in common in the restaurant.
Moreover, the satellite tag was put on other six vultures (not in the enclosure) in the restaurant earlier to this and those vultures traveled the distance of around 200-km west (up to Banke in western Nepal) and flew back to their habitat.
Through the study of those vultures inside the enclosure and nature in the restaurant, it has been guessed that they can adjust to living together. There is a plan to shift five vultures from Kasara to the enclosure following the release of six vultures.
The government in 2007 had come up with specific efforts to conserve vultures known as natural sweeper of the earth after its number was found to be declined at an alarming rate. The breeding center was established in 2008. The use of diclofenac, anti-inflammatory drugs, has been banned in Nepal since 2007 after the facts finding that vultures suffer kidney failure and die if they feed on the carcass of livestock treated with diclofenac.
The government has, with the support from donors, launched various programs aimed at conserving vultures especially those on the verge of extinction including white-rumped one.
