New Delhi, September 6: Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Sunday underscored the vital ecological role of vultures, describing them as “nature’s own cleaning system” and calling for coordinated efforts to halt their population decline and support their recovery across India.

Yadav made the remarks while inaugurating a national-level workshop on vulture conservation in Haryana to mark International Vulture Awareness Day 2026. The workshop was organised on the theme “From Crisis to Recovery – Conserving India’s Vultures.”

The event was attended by Haryana Minister for Environment, Forest and Wildlife Rao Narbir Singh, along with senior officials and dignitaries from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the Haryana Government.

The workshop was jointly organised by the MoEFCC, Central Zoo Authority (CZA), Haryana Forest and Wildlife Department, Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and the Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre (JCBC), Pinjore. It brought together forest officials, scientists, veterinarians, zoo professionals, conservation practitioners and other stakeholders to strengthen coordinated efforts for vulture conservation in the country.

Addressing the gathering, Yadav said the government's approach to environmental conservation under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was based on a holistic and ecosystem-oriented model rather than focusing solely on individual species. He cited conservation initiatives involving big cats, sloth bears, the Great Indian Bustard, dolphins, gharials, wild water buffaloes and vultures as examples of this approach.

Highlighting India's rich diversity of vultures, Yadav said the country is home to several resident and migratory species, including the White-rumped, Long-billed, Slender-billed, Red-headed, Egyptian, Himalayan Griffon, Eurasian Griffon, Cinereous and Bearded Vultures.

The Minister stressed that vultures perform a crucial ecological function as highly efficient scavengers. By rapidly consuming animal carcasses, they help recycle nutrients, prevent the accumulation of decaying matter and contribute to maintaining ecological balance.

Yadav noted that India witnessed a steep decline in vulture populations beginning in the 1990s, primarily due to disruptions in their food chain and the use of veterinary painkillers in livestock, whose residues could prove fatal to vultures feeding on the carcasses. He added that climate change and human-animal conflict have further highlighted the need for stronger conservation measures.

Calling for a“Whole of Government” and “Whole of Society”approach, Yadav stressed the importance of creating and expanding Vulture Safe Zones. He also advocated the adoption of vulture-safe veterinary practices, ensuring the availability of safe food sources and strengthening technical capabilities to facilitate the recovery of vulture populations in the wild.

He urged veterinary professionals, livestock owners, local administrations and communities to actively participate in conservation efforts and adopt safe practices for the management and disposal of animal carcasses.

Earlier in the day, Yadav visited the Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre at Pinjore, where he inspected the facility, reviewed a presentation on its activities and interacted with officials involved in vulture conservation.

A joint initiative of the Haryana Forest Department and BNHS, the JCBC has emerged as an important centre for the conservation breeding of White-rumped, Long-billed and Slender-billed Vultures. The facility undertakes scientific husbandry, artificial incubation, veterinary care, breeding and genetic management of the species.

During 2025-26, the JCBC housed 356 vultures and successfully bred 35 chicks. It also released or contributed 87 vultures for reintroduction, transferred 90 birds to other conservation-breeding institutions and trained 1,222 participants from 22 institutions, helping strengthen technical expertise and conservation capacity.

Rao Narbir Singh, addressing the gathering, highlighted the significant contribution of the JCBC's conservation programme. He said the success of conservation breeding should not be measured merely by the number of animals born, but by the creation of healthy and genetically managed populations, generation of scientific knowledge, development of technical expertise and, ultimately, the contribution to species recovery in the wild.

During the inaugural session, a coffee-table book titled “Story of Jatayu: Saving India’s Vulture” was released. The publication chronicles India's vulture conservation journey, from the dramatic decline in vulture populations to the development of successful conservation-breeding programmes at JCBC Pinjore.

The event also featured a prize distribution ceremony honouring winners of an online drawing competition and a digital photography competition organised around the theme of vulture conservation.

The International Vulture Awareness Day 2026 National Workshop concluded with a renewed commitment to ensuring that vultures continue to thrive across India's landscapes and perform their vital ecological role.

The theme“From Crisis to Recovery”reflects the country's collective efforts to conserve vultures through science-based interventions, supportive policies, conservation breeding, the creation of safe landscapes and greater community participation.