KUMARHATTI: The vultures have sighted again here today and this time certainly more in numbers. Over two dozen mostly white backed (Gyps bengalensis) vultures descended on an animal carcass lying dumped in a nullah near here this afternoon. Interestingly before to pounce on dead animal, vultures remained perched on the pine trees for well over an hour.
Initially three vultures landed on animals’ body where stray dogs were already double to their numbers. It was soon turned all vultures’ show when they one by one left trees to land on the body.
The big birds, popularly known as the world’s most dependable natural scavengers, remained at site for hour before to vanish in nearby pine forest.
The most of vultures were white backed and black in colour or black with small whitish patches. It may be mentioned here that sighting of vultures in this town was common. They appeared on scene usually whenever any carcass was dumped by the villagers.
However from the past quite time they have disappeared suddenly. Even at a nearby Army dairy farm their absence surprised many. A professional skinner at farm said that no vulture has spotted from log time here. However earlier it was really hard to concentrate on work as good number of vultures hovering over proved a big hurdle in skinning dead animals at the farm, he maintained .
