Near-extinct vulture caught in Tangail

This extremely rare huge Black Vulture was captured in Tangail a few days ago. The injured bird is now under the care of Madhupur Forest Department.Photo: STAR

A Cinereous Vulture, commonly known as the black vulture and considered to be near extinct globally, has been caught at a village in Tangail on January 6.
The bird, weak and unable to fly, is now under the care of Modhupur Forest Department.
Some students caught the bird after they found it sitting beside a water body at Kaoamara village under Birtara union at Dhanbari upazila in Tangail.
The villagers took care of the bird for seven days before they handed it over to the Modhupur Police Station on January 13.
Modhupur Forest Department Assistant Forest Conservator Rabindranath Adhikari told The Daily Star yesterday that the bird is being kept at the Modhupur National Park at Rashulpur with the hope that its health will improve and it will be able to fly again.
The bird is now in a better condition and taking food regularly, he said.
The 3-foot tall bird weighs 15 kg and has a wingspan of 10 foot.
Dr Reza Khan, a wildlife expert who had seen the bird, said the black vulture is a rare migrant bird and is one of the two largest vultures found in the region.
He said very little is known about the bird's behaviour as scientists have not seen it in the wild.