The Bombay Natural History Society has signed a 5-year Memorandum of Understanding with the Chief Wildlife Warden of Jharkhand to strengthen conservation of critically endangered vultures, especially the Oriental White-backed Vulture and the Long-billed Vulture. The collaboration covers scientific breeding, monitoring, training and long-term conservation. It is linked to the programme beginning in FY 2025-26 and is expected to support work at the Vulture Conservation and Breeding Centre near Muta, Ranchi.

For exam preparation, this update matters because vulture conservation connects environment, biodiversity, wildlife law and public health. Vultures are scavengers: by disposing of animal carcasses, they reduce the risk of disease spread and support nutrient recycling in ecosystems. A major reason for India’s vulture decline has been the veterinary drug diclofenac; when vultures feed on carcasses of treated animals, they can suffer severe kidney-related damage. Habitat loss, poisoning and powerline-related threats are also relevant concerns.

For static GK, students should connect this update with the conservation status of Oriental White-backed, Long-billed and Slender-billed Vultures, Vulture Safe Zones, Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centres and Schedule I protection under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. For RAS and UPSC-style preparation, the topic can appear in factual prelims questions and in short mains answers on environmental governance, biodiversity conservation and the public-health role of scavenger species.