Radio-tagged white-rumped vulture captured near Mudumalai Tiger Reserve

A radio-tagged white-rumped vulture, which had been released in the Mudumalai-Bandipur region in April this year, was captured on Wednesday (June 3, 2026) after it was found near a human settlement in Kalhatti on the fringes of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR).

The captive-bred vulture from the Tadoba-Andheri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra was released in 2025 and had made its way to Kalaburagi in Karnataka, where it was captured and treated after it was found to be unwell.

Following this, it was released in the Mudumalai-Bandipur complex in the hopes that it would associate with other white-rumped vultures in the region. However, the bird was once again found to be in poor health and was not associating with other vultures. Over the past two days, it had perched itself overlooking the Kalhatti ghat, prompting the Forest department to step in and capture it.

Speaking to The Hindu, R. Vidhyadhar, Deputy Director of MTR (Buffer Zone), said that the bird had been moving around different habitats over the past few weeks, including Gudalur, but not feeding on carcasses with other vultures. “We are planning to write to the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), which released the vulture, as to what steps can be taken,” said Mr. Vidhyadhar.

Field Director of MTR R. Kiruba Shankar said that the Forest department will conduct a check on the vulture and efforts would be made to release it within MTR once again. “It has been exploring the region, which is a promising sign, and we will try to help it acclimatise and adapt as much as possible,” he said.