Why in news?
The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) released 15 critically endangered Indian vultures into Melghat Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra's Somthana Range on January 2, 2026.
Key Highlights of Melghat Tiger Reserve
- Location: Northern Amravati District, Maharashtra, on the southern offshoot of the Satpura Hill Range (Gavilgarh Hills).
- Established: 1973 under Project Tiger, making it Maharashtra’s first tiger reserve and one of India’s first nine tiger reserves
- Area: 2,768 sq km of tropical dry deciduous forest, dominated by teak.
- Name Meaning: “Melghat” translates to meeting of the ghats (valleys), reflecting its dramatic landscape.
- Wildlife: Tigers, leopards, sloth bears, Indian gaur, sambar, wild dogs, and over 250 bird species.
- Conservation Update (2026): 15 critically endangered Indian vultures were released here by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), fitted with GSM and satellite tags for monitoring.
Challenges & Conservation Efforts
- Tiger Conservation: Maintaining prey base and habitat connectivity is critical.
- Vulture Release Programme: Faced hurdles like limited food availability and absence of resident vulture populations to guide captive-bred birds.
- Human-Wildlife Conflict: Villages around the reserve require careful management to balance livelihoods and conservation.
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