Radio-tagged white-rumped vulture dies of electrocution in Nilgiris

Captive-bred, radio-tagged white-rumped vulture (gypsy bengalensisA tiger released in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) earlier this year died of electrocution on Sunday, June 28, 2026, on the slopes of Ebbanad overlooking the Sigur plateau.

The bird was first released in the Tadoba-Andheri Tiger Reserve in December 2025 and made its way to Karnataka, where it had to be captured and treated after showing signs of disease. Following this, the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and the Karnataka Forest Department held talks with their counterparts in Tamil Nadu and received permission in April 2026 to release the bird into the MTR, home to the last large population of white-rumped vultures in south India. Foresters hoped that the bird would establish relationships with other birds and become accustomed to the area.

However, officials said its release was more difficult than expected as the vulture failed to acclimate to its new surroundings and went on exploratory trips around the tiger reserve, including Gudalur, and later on the hillsides towards Kalhatty and Ebbanad.

“We caught the bird many times and released it to Sigur hoping it would get used to it,” said MTR Field Director R. Kiruba Shankar. However, forest department officials confirmed on Sunday that the bird came into contact with a power line during one of its expeditions and was killed at Ebbanad in the Nilgiris forest division.

The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and the Karnataka Forest Department held talks with their counterparts in Tamil Nadu and obtained permission to release the bird in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, home to the last large population of white-rumped vultures in southern India. File | Photo Credit: The Hindu

The vulture’s death signaled the end of the first attempt to reintroduce a bird into the wild and could have implications for future conservation policies. “For a long time, there have been calls for the release of captive-bred birds into Mudumalai to boost the populations. With this reintroduction having failed, steps need to be taken to identify the reasons why the bird has failed to adapt and also to identify threats to endangered species such as power lines that have led to a large number of vulture deaths in the region in the last few years,” said a conservation expert from the Nilgiris.

S. Bharathidasan, secretary of Arulagam, a conservation NGO that works to protect vultures in the area, said power lines passing through vulture habitats should be reinforced with wiring harnesses and insulated to prevent accidental electrocution of birds and other wildlife.

Mr. Kiruba Shankar said, “We will hold discussions with BNHS and other researchers to understand the reasons why this particular bird is unable to acclimate and adapt. We will also find out whether captive-bred birds released in other regions face similar challenges. The Forest Department will also explore the possibility of adapting the energy infrastructure in the region to minimize threats to bird species (for example, installing bird diverters on transmission lines).