Why in the news?

• Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has tagged 15 long-billed vultures at the Melghat Tiger Reserve.

Long Billed Vultures

• What is it?: The Long-billed Vulture is an Old World vulture native to the Asian region, also called the Indian long-billed vulture, due to its comparatively long beak.
• Distribution: Native to India, Pakistan, and Nepal.
• Habitat: Prefers savannas and open landscapes and commonly found near villages, cities, and cultivated areas, where carcasses are available
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
  • CITES: Schedule II 
  • WPA, 1972: Schedule I 

Melghat Tiger Reserve

• Location: Amravati district of Maharashtra.
• Physical Features:
  • Forms part of the Satpura–Tapti landscape.
  • Tapti River and the Gavilgarh ridge act as natural boundaries.
• Tribal Presence: Korkus form the largest tribal population and other communities like Gawli and Gond tribes are also present.
• Features:
  • It was one of India’s first nine tiger reserves under Project Tiger.
  • Dominated by tropical dry deciduous forests, with Teak as the principal tree species.
  • Flora: Teak, Lagerstroemia parviflora, Terminalia tomentosa, Ougeinia oojeinensis, Emblica officinalis and Bamboo.
  • Fauna: Royal Bengal tiger, leopards, Indian gaur, sloth bears, sambar, chital, nilgai, and rare Forest Owlets.

Source: Deccan Herald