Rare vultures sighted in Lahore after thirty years

LAHORE: A rare spectacle unfolded in Lahore as bird enthusiasts witnessed the arrival of the rare Eurasian and Himalayan griffon vultures in a local residential area. This marks the return of these vultures to Lahore after an absence spanning nearly three decades, prompting experts to speculate that shifting climatic patterns are influencing their migration.

Experts posit that adverse weather conditions in northern territories, coupled with dwindling food sources, have compelled these vultures to forsake their usual habitats.

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The congregation of these species in Lahore’s southwestern precincts has brought joy to bird and wildlife aficionados.

Although the vultures briefly settled in Lahore area, they were eventually driven away to the southern skies by crows and kites.

In 2005, the Punjab Wildlife Department, in collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature, established a conservation and rehabilitation centre for these vultures in the Changa Manga area.

The centre achieved notable success in 2015, successfully breeding 32 vultures. However, concerns persist regarding the vultures’ natural habitat. Experts are cautious about releasing them into the wild due to apprehensions about their survival in unsuitable and precarious environments. – INP