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Vulture Restaurant
Vulture feeding center, Nepal, 2023
Category - Changemakers
Team members Kewal Prasad Chaudhary (left) and Yam Bahadur Mahato (right) weigh an injured Himalayan Griffon vulture (Gyps himalayensis). It is being cared for near the feeding center. Once it regains strength, it will be moved to the soft-release aviary on the feeding field with other birds, with the goal to integrate it back into the wild as quickly as possible. Jatayu Restaurant was the first community-run safe feeding zone for vultures in the world. By devouring carcasses, vultures neutralize pathogens and prevent diseases from spreading. First, deceased livestock, donated by local farmers, is checked for vulture-toxic substances, and then remains are recycled back to the community as feed and fertilizer. Following this successful breeding program, the population is rebounding with captive and wild vultures pairing. The project, replicated in Nepal and elsewhere, is a boon to the local economy, and promotes conservation and eco-tourism. But vultures still face many hazards including, accidental poisoning, electrocution, deforestation, and food scarcity.
16 mm f/4 Lens - 1/320 sec at f/9 ISO 800