Yet again, some 100 vultures were spotted in Dooars, bringing cheers to nature lovers and forest workers. The birds were seen at Jalpaiguri’s Mal along railway tracks on the banks of the river Ghish. Environmentalists and forest staff said vultures of the Himalayan Grifan species have been spotted in Odlabari located on the banks of the Ghish river.
Locals said a cow carcass was lying on railway tracks passing along the banks of the river. This carcass drew some 100 vultures to the spot, locals added. As news about the vultures spread, members of an Odlabari NGO and staff from the Chel and Targhera forest ranges rushed to the spot.
“It was a great sight to see,” said local environmentalist Nafzar Ali. Tamal Mukherjee, ranger of the Chel forest range said, “We went to the spot on hearing of the vultures. We took steps to remove the carcass of the cow from the railway tracks. We have a bad experience of several vultures being killed under the wheels of a train at Gulma. Those vultures too were similarly drawn to the spot by the carcass of a cow. We also requested authorities of Odlabari power station to switch off power supply to the overhead electric wires.”
Field director of the Rajabhatkhawa Vulture centre Shyamma Chowdhury said, “All these vultures belong to the Great Himalayan Grifan species. Staff from the Chel Range and the Mal Wildlife Squad have started monitoring the vultures’ movement there.”
Source: Times of India
