{
  "id": 335989,
  "title": "Assam records world’s first-ever release of captive-bred slender-billed vultures",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/09/assam-records-worlds-first-ever-release-of-captive-bred-slender",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-09T01:00:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu - Sci-Tech",
    "slug": "the-hindu-sci-tech",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/assam/assam-records-worlds-first-ever-release-of-captive-bred-slender-billed-vultures/article71317644.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On Friday, the Assam region witnessed a historic event as five slender-billed vultures bred in captivity were released into the wild, marking the world's first-ever release of these endangered birds. This significant occasion took place at the Jatayu Soft Release Centre within the Biswanath Division of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, following the birds' three-month acclimatisation period at a vulture-release aviary in Tewaripal area. While five white-rumped vultures, also captive-bred, were released earlier, this marks the initial step towards saving the slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris) population from extinction. The Assam population of Gyps vultures has experienced a staggering 99% decline over the past two decades due to the usage of veterinary painkillers, with pesticide poisoning posing a continued threat. The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has been actively collaborating with the State's Forest Department on the vulture breeding conservation program since 2007, identifying these dangers and taking necessary measures. Each of the vultures sported a numbered blue ring around their leg and a tag on their back, ensuring their identification and monitoring. Over 700 vultures, including Himalayan griffons, have sadly lost their lives in Assam since 2018 due to accidental secondary poisoning, primarily caused by consuming carcasses laced with toxic pesticides, often illicitly used to control stray or feral dog populations.",
  "summary": "The population of Gyps vultures in India has declined by 99% over the last 20 years due to the use of veterinary painkiller drugs",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}