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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2015}}
{{copy edit|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Jatayu Conservation and Breeding Centre
| native_name = जटायु संरक्षण एवं प्रजनन केँद्र
| native_name_lang = Hindi
| other_name =
| nickname =
| settlement_type = Critically Endangered Bird Breeding Centre
| image_skyline = Long-billed Vulture.jpg
| imagesize = 200px
| image_alt =
| image_caption = [[Indian vulture]] in flight
| pushpin_map = India Haryana#India
| pushpin_label_position =
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Haryana, India
| coordinates = {{coord|30|46|7|N|76|57|19|E|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flag|India}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[States and territories of India|State]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Haryana]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[List of districts of India|District]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Panchkula district|Panchkula]]
| established_title = 
| established_date = 2001
| founder = [[List of Chief Ministers of Haryana|Former Chief Minister of Harayana]] [[Om Prakash Chautala]]
| named_for = [[Jatayu]]
| government_type = [[Government of Haryana]]
| governing_body = [[Forests Department, Haryana]]
| unit_pref = Metric
| area_footnotes =
| area_rank =
| area_total_km2 =
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| elevation_m =
| population_total =
| population_as_of =
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| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_demonym =
| population_footnotes =
| demographics_type1 =
| demographics1_title1 =
| demographics1_info1 =
| timezone1 = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
| utc_offset1 = +5:30
| postal_code_type = [[Postal Index Number|PIN]]
| postal_code =
| area_code_type = Telephone code
| area_code =
| registration_plate =
| blank1_name_sec1 =
| blank1_info_sec1 =
| website = {{Url|haryanaforest.gov.in}}
| footnotes =
}}

The '''Jatayu and Sparrow Conservation Breeding Centre''' (JCBC), (Hindi: जटायु संरक्षण एवं प्रजनन केँद्र) is the world's largest facility for the breeding and conservation of [[Indian vulture]]s (गिध) and the [[house sparrow]] (''Passer domesticus'' चिड़िया).<ref name=jatayu3/> It is located within the [[Bir Shikargah Wildlife Sanctuary]] in the town of [[Pinjore]] in the State of [[Haryana]], [[India]].<ref name=spar1>[https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/sparrow-research-centre-haryana-5531238/ Two sparrow research centres to come up in Haryana], Indian Express, 10 Jan 2019.</ref><ref name="Haryana Forest Department">{{cite web|url=http://haryanaforest.gov.in/protect.aspx | title = Haryana Forest Department |access-date=11 May 2014 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140512232130/http://haryanaforest.gov.in/protect.aspx |archive-date=12 May 2014 }}</ref><ref>[http://haryanaforest.gov.in/JCBC.aspx [[Forests Department, Haryana]]]</ref> It is run by the [[Forests Department, Haryana]] and [[Bombay Natural History Society]] (BNHS) with the help of British nature conservation charity [[Royal Society for the Protection of Birds]] (RSPB).<ref name=bnhs1>[https://www.thequint.com/environment/2017/05/08/flight-highly-endangered-vultures-grounded-by-red-tape Flight of Highly Endangered Vultures Grounded by Red Tape; TheQuint.com; Published: 8-May-2017]</ref> It is {{convert|8|km}} away from [[Pinjore]] on Pinjor-Mallah Road.<ref name="Haryana Forest Department"/>

Named after the mythical vulture [[Jatayu]] from the [[Hindu]] epic [[Ramayana]],<ref name="jatayu1" /> it was established in 2001 and focuses on the conservation of critically endangered species of vultures on the [[IUCN Red List|IUCN Red List.]] The Centre's research confirmed the discovery that the use of the anti-inflammatory drug [[diclofenac]] in cattle was a critical factor in the decline of vulture populations.<ref name="jatayu1" /> The [[Government of India]] banned the veterinary use of the drug in 2007-2008 as a result of research done at the Centre.

Although the house sparrow is of least-concern globally, its numbers in India have been declining, especially in Punjab and Haryana. JCBC is conducting research on the causes of decline to formulate plans to reverse it.

==History==
===Vultures===
Asia's first vulture breeding facility, JCBC, named after the mythical vulture [[Jatayu]] from the [[Hindu]] epic [[Ramayana]],<ref name=jatayu1>[http://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/ht-special-pinjore-s-vultures-on-a-wing-and-a-prayer-for-survival/story-hFgEtxKmmKpNUE5pVkHfbJ.html Pinjore’s vultures on a wing and a prayer for survival, Vivek Gupta], [[Hindustan Times]], 17 June 2017</ref> was established in 2001 as a joint project of the [[Forests Department, Haryana]] and the [[Bombay Natural History Society]].<ref name=jatayu2>{{cite web|url=http://haryanaforest.gov.in/vulture1.aspx |title=Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre, Pinjore |date=19 May 2014 |publisher= [[Forests Department, Haryana]] |access-date=31 August 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217121742/http://haryanaforest.gov.in/vulture1.aspx |archive-date=17 December 2014 }}</ref> It covers {{convert|5|acre}}, and its focus is the conservation, study, and breeding of critically endangered and threatened species of vultures on the [[IUCN Red List]].<ref name=jatayu3/>

Fossil records of earlier types of vultures have been found going as far back as 20 million years ago, from which the [[Gyps]] species evolved representing majority of the vultures in the [[Indian subcontinent]],<ref name=jatayu9>[Rich, Pat V. ‘The Fossil Record of the Vultures: A World Perspective.’ Vulture Biology and Management. Ed. Sanford R. Wilbur and Andrew L. Jackson. Berkeley: U of California P, 1983. 3-25.]</ref><ref name=jatayu10>[Houston, David C., and J.E. Cooper. ‘The Digestive Tract of the Whiteback Griffon Vulture and Its Role in Disease Transmission among Wild Ungulates.’ Journal of Wildlife Diseases 11 (1975): 306-13.]</ref><ref name=jatayu11>[Houston, David C. ‘The Adaptive Radiation of the Griffon Vultures.’ Vulture Biology and Management. Ed. Sanford R. Wilbur and Andrew L. Jackson. Berkeley: U of California P, 1983. 135-52.]</ref> which live in the nests or ledges on the high cliff faces in social groups of typically 20, 30, or even up to 100 vultures, with nests made from the wool, skin, dung and refuse.<ref name=jatayu12>[Ferguson-Lees, James, and David A. Christie. Raptors of the World. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2001.]</ref> Vultures are [[scavenger]]s with a high tolerance for the deadly [[pathogen]] found in their primary meal of rotting animal carcasses.<ref name=jatayu13>[Amadon, Dean. ‘Foreword.’ Vulture Biology and Management. Ed. Sanford R. Wilbur and Jerome A. Jackson. Berkeley: U of California P, 1983. ix-xi.]</ref>

Out of the 40 million vultures in India in 1993,<ref name=jatayu14>[https://ensia.com/voices/the-value-of-vultures/ The Value of Vultures: What’s a vulture worth? A lot more than you might think]. Tony Juniper, Ensia by [[Institute on the Environment]]. 4 June 2014</ref> 99.9% of [[Slender-billed vulture]]s and 97% [[White-backed vulture]]s disappeared from their primary habitat by 2007. This was due to the use of [[anti-inflammation]] drug [[diclofenac]] used to treat the [[cattle]],<ref name=jatayu6>[https://www.rspb.org.uk/join-and-donate/donate/appeals/vultures/ Saving Asia's Vultures from brink], [[Royal Society for the Protection of Birds]]</ref><ref name=jatayu14/> which is retained in cattle given the treatment a few days prior to their death. The drug then enters the vultures' stomach and poisons them to death.<ref name=jatayu14/> Reduction of vulture numbers has led to extra carcasses, resulting in the sustainable addition of 7 million more feral dogs who inflicted 40 million more dog bites between 1993 and 2016, causing US$34 billion loss to the [[economy of India]].<ref name=jatayu14/>

The ban on the use of [[diclofenac]] in 2007–2008, combined with the success of vulture breeding of 3 critically endangered species at JCBC, led to the formation of the Saving Asia's Vultures from Extinction (SAVE) in 2011 as a consortium of 14 partner organizations and 14 Indian government agencies,<ref name=jatayu7>[http://www.save-vultures.org/what-is-save/partners/ SAVE partners, www.save-vultures.org]</ref> with a goal of restoring at least 40% (16 million) of the vanished 40 million critically endangered white backed, long billed and slender billed vultures of [[South Asia]].<ref name=jatayu6/> They plan to achieve this by setting up a total of 8 vulture breeding centers (JCBC and 7 new) across India with a resident vulture population of at least 25 vultures of the three critically endangered species,<ref name="jatayu8">[http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/vultures-to-be-bred-at-8-more-centres/ Vultures to be bred at 8 more centres, 3 March 2014]</ref> allowing the release into the wild of 600 of these vultures across 3000,000 square km.<ref name=jatayu7/>

===Sparrow Rescue and Research Centre (SRRCP) ===
{{anchor | Sparrow Rescue and Research Centre, Pinjore | SRRCP }}

'''"Sparrow Rescue and Research Centre, Pinjore (SRRCB)"''' in Jodhpur village: In January 2019, Govt of Haryana approved INR5,300,000 to establish two "Sparrow Rescue and Research Centre", each with 50 pairs of birds collected from the various parts of Haryana, at two bio-diversity hotspots in the state namely at [[Gurugram Airstrip#SRRCB|Bhondsi Nature Camp]] in Aravalli mountain range in the south Haryana and Jatayu Conservation and Breeding Centre at Pinjore in Shivalik mountain range in the north Haryana, with the help of Bombay Natural History Society. Though the [[International Union for Conservation of Nature]] has classified the sparrow as a least-concerned species globally, its numbers have been declining regionally, especially in Punjab and Haryana. Centres will be focused on conducting research on the causes of decline and to formulate action plans to reverse that trend. Centres will become operational from Summer 2019.

The Wildlife Department stated, ''"we keep and breed 25 pairs of each of the depleting species at the centre and release 100 pairs of each of the species, within ten years from the beginning of the release programme, the major reasons for decline of Sparrow was loss of their habitat due to tree felling, rampant use of pesticide ruining their food, radiation from mobile towers damaging their immune and nervous system among others"''.<ref name=lsparrow1>[https://www.dailypioneer.com/2019/state-editions/haryana-to-set-up-rescue--research-centre-for-sparrow-in-pinjore.html Haryana to set up rescue, research centre for Sparrow in Pinjore], Daily Pioneer, 4 November 2019.</ref>

In 2021, to provide bird habitats in rapidly urbanising areas, the Haryana Wildlife Department distributed 6000 [[nest box|bird nest box]]es, 1000 each in 6 districts of [[South Haryana]], bird houses to be given to panchayats, government offices, NGOs, etc. To cater for birds of small and medium sizes, the boxes are of two types - 9x9 inch and 1 ft x 1 ft. Boxes need to be placed in a way that the opening faces away from the strong winds so that hatchlings are protected. Wildlife activists demanded that the government need to take more conservation actions than just distributing bird boxes.<ref name=bird1>[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/to-give-homes-to-sparrows-and-mynahs-haryana-plans-6000-nest-boxes-in-6-districts/articleshow/84536267.cms To give homes to sparrows and mynahs Haryana plans 6000 nest boxes in 6-districts], Times of India, 19 July 201.</ref>

===Related vulture breeding centres===
In 2014, a plan for the establishment of a following 7 new vulture breeding centres, to replicate the successful model of JCBC, was announced by the government of India, by relocating some vultures from JCBC and all vultures from 19 other zoos in India:<ref name=jatayu8/>
# [[Brahmaputra Valley semi-evergreen forests#Rani Vulture Breeding Centre|Rani Vulture Breeding Centre]] inside [[Brahmaputra Valley semi-evergreen forests]] at [[Rani, Kamrup|Rani]] in [[Kamrup district]] of [[Assam]], established in 2008 which houses 90 vultures in December 2018.<ref name=vult1/>
# [[Buxa Tiger Reserve#Rajabhatkhawa Vulture Breeding Centre|Rajabhatkhawa Vulture Breeding Centre]] at [[Buxa Tiger Reserve|Buxa National Park]], [[West Bengal]], houses 120 vultures in December 2018 and received a grant of INR2.5 crores.<ref name=vult1/>
# [[Hydrabad Vulture Breeding Center]] at [[Nehru Zoological Park]], [[Hydrabad]]
# [[Kerwa Vulture Breeding Center]] at [[Van Vihar National Park]], [[Bhopal]].<ref name=jatayu5/>
# [[Junagadh Vulture Breeding Center]] at [[Sakkarbaug Zoological Garden]], [[Junagadh]]
# [[Ranchi Vulture Breeding Center]] at [[Crocodile Breeding Centre, Muta]], [[Ranchi]]
# [[Bhubaneswar Vulture Breeding Center]] at [[Nandankanan Zoological Park]], [[Bhubaneswar]]

==Vulture conservation at JCBC==
===JCBC Research on Vultures and Diclofenac===
The JCBC undertook research on vultures, their habitat, the causes of their declining numbers, and uses this for vulture advocacy. The Centre's research confirmed the discovery that the use of anti-inflammatory drug [[diclofenac]] in cattle was a critical factor in the decline of vulture populations.<ref name=jatayu1/> The [[Government of India]] banned the veterinary use of the drug in 2007-2008 as a result of research done at the Centre, since then the use of diclofenac has gone down significantly, but it still remains a declining threat.<ref name=jatayu1/>

{{Quote
|text = "40 million vultures died in [the] last 20 years ... India should also prioritize vulture conservation as these birds are rarer than tigers. As many as 70 vultures consume a cow carcass in just half an hour which otherwise can rot, infecting domestic animals, pollut[ing] water and increas[ing] the number of stray dogs. So, if these valuable species [go] extinct, we will be held guilty for their disappearance.”
|author = [[Jemima Parry-Jones]], Director, [[International Centre for Birds of Prey]], [[United Kingdom]]<ref name=vult1>[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/haryana-may-host-6-nation-vulture-meet-next-nov/articleshow/67168607.cms Haryana may host 6-nation vulture meet next Nov.], Times of India, 21 Dec 2018.</ref>
}}

=== Species at JCBC ===
JCBC houses the following four species, three [[critically endangered]] (CR) species and one [[threatened species]] for breeding and conservation at the centre:<ref name=jatayu1/><ref name="jatayu6"/>

* Critically Endangered species
** [[Indian vulture]], scientific name: Gyps indicus, formerly known as the ''long-billed vulture''.
** [[Slender-billed vulture]]s, scientific name: ''Gyps tenuirostris'', formerly called ''long billed vultures'', 97% have been wiped out by ''diclofenac''.<ref name=jatayu6/>
** [[White-rumped vulture]], scientific name: ''Gyps bengalensis'', formerly known as the ''Oriental White-Backed vulture'', 99.9% have been wiped out by ''diclofenac''.<ref name=jatayu6/>
* Threatened species
** [[Himalayan vulture]], scientific name: ''Gyps himalayensis''.

=== Conservation and Breeding Activities ===
JCBC is world's largest facility in terms of numbers of vultures,<ref name=jatayu3/> hosting an ever increasing 250 vultures in 2017<ref name=jatayu1/> growing annually at a rate of more than 17% per year.<ref name=jatayu1/><ref name=jatayu3/>

In 2007, the [[Aviculture]] (breeding) at JCBC was started in the on-site vulture [[hatchery]].<ref name=jatayu1/> In 2016, [[Species reintroduction|release in the wild]] program commenced for the first time in Asia.<ref name=jatayu3>[http://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/pinjore-centre-gets-wings-as-2-himalayan-griffon-vulture-released/story-flntVyt2FMp01dVlxy0KIK.html Environment Day: 2 Himalayan Griffon vultures released from breeding centre], [[Hindustan Times]], 5 June 2016</ref> In 2017, Asia's first satellite tracking of the released vultures started at JCBC in 2017.<ref name=jatayu1/>

Starting from 2007, JCBC has successfully accelerated the breeding count by doubling of the number of these otherwise "slow to breed" vulture species, by mastering the [[Incubator (egg)|artificial incubation]] technique.<ref name=jatayu1/> As a result of the successful breeding program, the number of vultures at JCBC rose by 17% within a year, from 214 vultures in year 2016<ref name=jatayu3/> to 250 vultures in year 2017.<ref name=jatayu1/> JCBC has successfully released the captured and rehabilitated as well as captivity bred vultures back into the wild life after proper acclimatization and preparation.<ref name=jatayu1/><ref name=jatayu3/> There is a 10 year plan to release 100 vultures from 2016 to 2026.<ref name=jatayu1/>

In 2016, out of 214 vultures at JCBC, 76 were ''Indian vultures'', 29 were ''Slender-billed vultures'', 107 were ''White-rumped vultures'' and two were ''Himalayan vultures'' (these two were released in that year).<ref name=jatayu3/> In 2016, Asia's first<ref name=jatayu4>[http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/asias-first-vulture-re-introduction-programe-launched-in-haryana/1/683586.html Asia's first vulture re-introduction programme launched in Haryana, Manjeet Sehgal], [[India Today]], 3 June 2016</ref> ever vulture release program commenced on the [[World Environment Day]], with the release of two ''Himalayan Griffons'', that were released with the [[Bird ringing#Wing tags|wing tags]]<ref name=jatayu5/> (brightly coloured plastic tags for the field observation through binoculars) and [[Bird ringing#Field-readable rings|ring tags]]<ref name=jatayu4/> (brightly coloured elastic tags with conspicuous letters and numbers markings used by the field biologists to identify individual birds without recapture) but without the [[Satellite tracking (animal migration)|satellite-based tracking device]].<ref name=jatayu1/> These two vultures were brought in 2005 to lay eggs for breeding, and were eventually released in the wild in 2016, but could not be tracked due to the lack of satellite tracker.<ref name=jatayu1/> These releases, according to [[Dr. Vibhu Prakash,]] the principle scientist, "gave us confidence to carry out future releases.”<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Vasudeva|first=Vikas|date=2021-09-11|title=8 critically-endangered Oriental white-backed vultures fly towards survival from Haryana|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/8-critically-endangered-oriental-white-backed-vultures-fly-towards-survival-from-haryana/article36402117.ece|access-date=2021-11-09|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> In 2016, 15 vultures, 10 ''Slender-billed'' and 5 ''White-rumped''. were sent from JCBC to [[Kerwa Vulture Breeding Center]] located inside the [[Van Vihar National Park]] at [[Bhopal]].<ref name=jatayu5>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/15-new-vulture-pairs-brought-to-Bhopal-conservation-centre-from-Pinjore/articleshow/54721864.cms 15 new vulture pairs brought to Bhopal conservation centre from Pinjore, Aditi Gyanesh], [[The Times of India]], 6 Oct 2016</ref>

In 2017, out of 250 vultures, 90 were caught for breeding and 160 have been bred in captivity in the natural setting of ''Bir Shikargah Wildlife Sanctuary'', which makes it easy to rehabilitate the vultures in a phased manner in wild-like natural conditions for their eventual release.<ref name=jatayu1/> Since 2017, JCBC started to use the Satellite tracking system by purchasing the tracking units from British catalogue retailer [[Argos (retailer)|Argos]] at the cost of [[Indian rupee|INR]] 5 [[lakh]] each, after obtaining the allocation of [[radio frequency]] and [[security clearance]] from the [[Department of Telecommunications]] of the [[Ministry of Communications (India)|Indian Ministry of Communications]].<ref name=jatayu1/> Vultures are acclimatized with the dummy tags prior to the release.<ref name=jatayu1/> Each satellite tracking unit, tagged under the wings with the lightweight sturdy [[teflon]] string, relays each vulture's latitude and longitude four times a day during the 3 year life span of the tracking unit.<ref name=jatayu1/> Upon release, if the tracking location remains static for a day, it is indicative of some problem, which is then investigated by a ground team of humans to physically locate and investigate the vulture.<ref name=jatayu1/> In 2017, eight vultures were released with satellite trackers for the first time. These vultures included the [[White-rumped vulture]] and two other vultures brought from the wild at the beginning of the breeding program in 2007 for the purpose of breeding.<ref name=jatayu1/>

In 2018, JCBC received a grant of INR3.5 crores for the conservation of vultures from the [[Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change]].<ref name=vult1/>

Eight endangered [[White-rumped vulture|White-rumped vultures]] were released into the wild In October 2020 and have since been reported to be adapting to their new habitat.<ref name=":0" />

==Gallery==
<gallery widths=220 heights=150>
File:Indian Vulture at Ramanagara, Karnataka.JPG|Indian vulture
File:Indian Vulture chased by Black Kite.JPG|Indian vulture chased by Black Kite
File:Courtship between two Indian Vultures.jpg|Courtship between two Indian vultures
</gallery>

==References==
===See also ===
* [[Morni#Morni Pheasant Breeding Center|Morni Hills Pheasant Breeding Center]]
* [[Kalesar National Park#Elephants|Kalesar Elephant Rehabilitation Centre]]
* [[List of protected areas of Haryana]]

===External links===
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150722223425/http://www.vulturerescue.org/ Conserving Asia's critically endangered vultures]
* [http://www.vulture-territory.com/billed.html Vulture Territory Facts and Characteristics: Long Billed Griffon]
* [http://www.save-vultures.org/ "Saving Asia's Vultures from Extinction" Consortium]

===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

{{Vulture}}
{{Protected areas of Haryana}}
{{Haryana}}

[[Category:Wildlife sanctuaries in Haryana]]
[[Category:Zoos in Haryana]]
[[Category:Gyps]]
[[Category:Aviculture]]
[[Category:Panchkula district]]
[[Category:2001 establishments in Haryana]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 2001]]

Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre, Pinjore - Revision history

->BrickCityPrints: Slight changes to readability