CINEREOUS VULTURE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: Recently, the cinereous vulture has been sighted at the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, marking the first occurrence of this bird in Delhi in over five decades.

Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus)

• About: A winter migrant, the cinereous vulture travels thousands of kilometres from Europe towards western India — including Rajasthan, Gujarat
• Characteristics: The raptor is a sober dark brown shade flanked by broad wings and a slightly wedged tail. It is an altitudinal migrant — which means it migrates from a higher to a lower altitude.
• IUCN Status: Near Threatened
• Wildlife Protection Act 1972: Under Schedule IV
• Threats: Poisoning from diclofenac, loss of natural habitats, food dearth and contamination, hunting and electrocution by power lines.

Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary

• Coverage Area: 32.71 km2 area on the Southern Delhi Ridge of Aravalli hill range.
• Location: Delhi-Haryana border lies in Southern Delhi as well as northern parts of Faridabad and Gurugram districts of Haryana state.

oIt is also part of the Sariska-Delhi Wildlife Corridor, which runs from the Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan to Delhi Ridge.

• Vegetation: Dry deciduous,
• Flora: Consists of Prosopis juliflora as the dominant exotic species and Diospyros montana as the dominant native species in the sanctuary.
• Fauna: Golden Jackals, Striped-Hyenas, Indian crested-Porcupines, Civets, Jungle Cats, Snakes, Monitor Lizards, Mongoose etc.