^{The rescued Himalayan Griffon vultures at IFAW-WTI’s Wildlife Transit Home in Charaikhola}

Charaikhola, Bodoland Territorial Area District, January 17, 2018: Working in concert with the Assam Forest Department, IFAW-WTI’s Western Assam Mobile Veterinary Service unit (MVS-WA) successfully rehabilitated two rescued Himalayan Griffon vultures into the wild on January 10.

The two vultures were among a group of four that had been found in a severely ill state on the fringes of the Panbari  Range, Manas National Park, late last month. While one vulture had died, three were admitted to the MVS-WA’s Wildlife Transit Home in Charaikhola.

^{Two vultures being released into the wild in Kokrajhar’s Parbatjhora Division on January 10}

“They were brought here in extremely poor health”, MVS veterinarian Dr Daoharu Baro recalled. “While there were no prominent signs of poisoning they had clearly undergone chronic starvation. Following the requisite treatment and care two of them were deemed fit for wild rehabilitation; accordingly, we released them in a suitable habitat in Kokrajhar’s Parbatjhora Division last week. The third vulture is gradually being stabilised as well and we anticipate that we will be able to send it back to the wild soon.”

Dr Baro and MVS animal keeper Subiram Basumatary oversaw the release operation in the company of Range Forest Officer (RFO) U Goswami and frontline staff of the Parbatjhora Division’s Mahamaya Range. “We are happy that two of the Himalayan Griffon vultures have been rehabilitated into the wild”, the RFO said. “We are hopeful that the vulture still under care will also recover in the expert hands of the IFAW-WTI MVS team.”

^{One of the vultures perches in a tree following its release into the wild}