Vulture survey begins in Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary
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A two-day vulture survey has begun across the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary from Saturday (September 26, 2026) ahead of the upcoming Wildlife Week celebrations in Keralam.
According to a release, it is being organised jointly by the Forest department, Wayanad Wildlife Division, World Wide Fund for Nature-India, and the Hume Centre for Ecology and Wildlife Biology. It aims to document the current status and distribution of vultures in Wayanad and contribute to ongoing efforts to understand and conserve these ecologically important scavengers.
The organisers said that vultures played a vital role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem by rapidly consuming animal carcasses and preventing the accumulation of decaying animal matter. By removing carcasses from the landscape, they contribute to nutrient cycling and can also reduce potential risks associated with the spread of pathogens. They pointed out that Wayanad was particularly important for vulture conservation in Keralam, as it supported significant populations of three resident vulture species: the White-rumped Vulture, Red-headed Vulture, and the Indian Vulture. The region forms an important part of the larger Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, a landscape that provides suitable habitat and food resources for these obligate scavengers.
The availability of carcasses of large mammals in the landscape, particularly within and around protected forest areas, provides an important food resource for vultures. Wayanad also occasionally records migratory vultures such as the Himalayan Griffon and Cinereous Vulture, further highlighting the importance of the region as part of a larger landscape used by different vulture species, the organisers said.
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