Hyderabad: Zoo Prepares Vultures for Breeding Season
The vultures are in good health, the official confirmed. “During quarantine, some new arrivals did not eat for the first two days but have since adjusted to the zoo environment. They are now feeding well on goat meat, given twice a week, along with fresh water.”
Hyderabad: The 10 long-billed vultures brought to Nehru Zoological Park (NZP) for conservation breeding earlier this year have completed their quarantine period. They are now being prepared for the upcoming breeding season, which runs from October to May.
Zoo officials said the birds will be moved into the main breeding enclosure, where new perches and nest baskets are being installed to meet the group’s needs. “We already have four white-rumped vultures. The new birds are now being grouped with them so the enclosure can accommodate up to 19 individuals,” a zoo biologist explained.
Preparations are being handled by the zoo’s in-house team, including carpenters who are making sturdy perches for the vultures to rest on and nest baskets suitable for egg-laying. Weather conditions are being monitored before the birds are allowed to settle in the outdoor space.
The vultures are in good health, the official confirmed. “During quarantine, some new arrivals did not eat for the first two days but have since adjusted to the zoo environment. They are now feeding well on goat meat, given twice a week, along with fresh water,” he said.
For health management, the zoo follows a strict schedule of daily observation, sex identification through tagged leg rings and periodic deworming every three months to prevent intestinal parasites. The vultures are not on public display, as the focus remains on breeding and conservation.
