Maharashtra has emerged as the leader in India’s vulture comeback, with Melghat and Pench Tiger Reserves recording the country’s highest survival rates for captive-bred vultures released into the wild. Birds released at the two reserves recorded survival rates of up to 78 per cent.

The development comes as India’s vulture conservation breeding programme completes 25 years, with more than 800 vultures of three species bred so far. Conservationists, however, say the real test is successfully reintroducing the birds into the wild.