Bhubaneswar: In a setback for vulture conservation efforts in Odisha, a three-month-old Long-billed Vulture chick born at Nandankanan Zoological Park died on Monday morning.
The chick, which hatched on March 11, 2026, was found unconscious on Monday and was declared dead by veterinarians. The cause of death is yet to be ascertained. The carcass has been sent for post-mortem examination to determine the exact reason. With this death, the population of Long-billed Vultures at Nandankanan has dropped to 10.
Notably, vultures had virtually disappeared from Odisha following the 1999 Super Cyclone. To protect the ecological balance and revive the population, the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has taken initiative in establishing five vulture conservation breeding centers in the zoos at Junagadh, Bhopal, Hydrabad and Bhubaneswar in 2007 and at Ranchi in 2009. Following which a Vulture Conservation Breeding Center has be constructed in an off-exhibit area of Nandankanan during the year 2011-12 in an area of 0.3 acreas surrounded by seven acres of undisturbed forested land with financial assistance from CZA. A total of Rs. 57.84 lakhs has been utilized to establish the centre.
After 14 years of persistent efforts, a major breakthrough came when a pair — male K-42 and female K-46 — successfully bred between December 2025 and January 2026. The female laid an egg on January 16, from which a healthy chick hatched on March 11. Since its birth, the chick was under round-the-clock CCTV monitoring and dedicated veterinary care. The death of this rare chick has come as a major disappointment for conservationists working to reintroduce vultures into the wild in Odisha.
