Vulture Population In MP Doubled In Last Decade

As per the latest census, conducted in Madhya Pradesh in February 20- 22, the vulture population in the state has crossed 14,000, a senior forest officer said on Friday.

The latest census report will be released very soon, he said.

The exact population of vultures in the state will be known after the release of the census report, he said.

In the first census of vultures conducted in Madhya Pradesh in 2016, the population of the scavenger birds was recorded at 6,999.

Vulture is categorized as ‘critically endangered’ in the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list of threatened species.

Madhya Pradesh additional principal chief conservator of forest (APCCF) (wildlife) L Krishnamurthy had weeks ago indicated to this newspaper that the vulture population has increased significantly in the state raising the prospect of earning it the tag of ‘vulture state’.

In the 2025 census itself, Madhya Pradesh has emerged as India’s premier ‘vulture state’ with a recorded population of 12,981 vultures then.

The population of the bird in the state has been steadily increasing over the last one decade.

The state recorded a population of 6,999 vultures in 2016 which increased to 8,397 in 2019, 9,446 in 2021, 10,845 in 2024 and 12,981 in 2025.

Madhya Pradesh hosts seven of India’s nine vulture species, primarily in Panna Tiger Reserve, Kanha National Park, Satpura Tiger Reserve, Gandhi Sagar wildlife sanctuary and Van Vihar National Park following successful conservation efforts and strict prohibitions on hazardous veterinary drugs, a forest officer said.

Of the seven vulture species recorded in Madhya Pradesh, four are resident ones, and three others are migratory species.

The resident vulture species are Indian Long-billed, White-rumped, Egyptian, and Red-headed, while the migratory species recorded are Himalayan Griffon, Eurasian Griffon, and Cinereous.