Radio-tagged white-rumped vulture dies of electrocution in Nilgiris
A captive-bred, radio-tagged white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis), that was released in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) earlier this year was electrocuted to death on Sunday
A captive-bred, radio-tagged white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis), that was released in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) earlier this year was electrocuted to death on Sunday (June 28, 2026) along the slopes of Ebbanad overlooking the Sigur plateau. The bird was initially released in Tadoba–Andheri Tiger Reserve in December 2025, and made its way into Karnataka where it had to be captured and treated after it showed signs of illness. Following this, the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and the Karnataka Forest Department had discussions with their counterparts in Tamil Nadu and received permission to release the bird in MTR, which is home to the last sizeable population of white-rumped vultures in south India, in April 2026.
Foresters hoped the bird would associate with other birds and acclimatise to the region. However, officials said the release proved to be more difficult than expected, with the vulture failing to acclimatise to its new surroundings and embarking on exploratory forays around the tiger reserve including Gudalur and later up the slopes towards Kalhatty and Ebbanad. “We had captured the bird multiple times and released it into the Sigur, hoping it would acclimatise,” said R. Kiruba Shankar, Field Director of MTR. However, on Sunday, during one the bird’s explorations of Ebbanad in The Nilgiris forest division, it came into contact with a power line and was killed, officials from the forest department confirmed.
The death of the vulture has signalled the end for the first attempted reintroduction of a bird into the landscape and could have consequences for conservation policies in the future. “There have long been calls for captive-bred birds to be released into Mudumalai to bolster populations. With this reintroduction having failed, steps must be taken to identify the reasons for why the bird was unable to adapt and also identify threats to the endangered species, such as power lines which have led to multiple vulture deaths in the region over the last few years,” said a conservationist from The Nilgiris. S. Bharathidasan, secretary of Arulagam, a conservation NGO working on protecting vultures in the region, said power lines that cross through vulture habitats need to be reinforced with bunch cabling and need to be insulated to prevent birds and other wildlife from being accidentally electrocuted.
“We will have discussions with BNHS and other researchers to understand the reasons for why this particular bird was unable to acclimatise and adapt. We will also find out if the other captive-bred birds released in other parts too have faced similar challenges, said Mr. Kiruba Shankar. Besides, the Forest Department would also look into the possibility of adapting power infrastructure in the region towards minimising threats to avian species, such as installing bird diverters on transmission lines.
The BriefWire