Endangered Egyptian vulture rescued in city

New Delhi: An injured Egyptian vulture, a “globally endangered species”, was rescued in east Delhi, after it had sought shelter at premises of a temple in Patparganj, a wildlife NGO said. “The bird is currently under treatment and observation, and upon complete recovery, it will be released back into its natural habitat,” the Wildlife SOS said. Egyptian vulture ( Neophron percnopterus), also called the white scavenger vulture or pharaoh's chicken, is the smallest among all the vultures, the NGO said in a statement. It is a globally endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN) Red List, it said. “The bird had sustained an injury on its right wing. We received a distress call about an injured vulture that had sought a shelter in a temple in Patparganj. The rather unusual looking bird appeared to be in pain and was struggling to fly when a priest of the temple spotted it,” the Wildlife SOS said. “This species is rarely spotted in Delhi but in recent years there have been reported sightings near the Yamuna Biodiversity Park and Okhla Bird Sanctuary,” Kartick Satyanarayan co- founder and CEO said. “Their population is threatened due to factors such as loss of prey base and habitat, poisoning from veterinary drugs, electrocution,” he said. Vulture is a useful scavenger and plays an important role in the ecosystem as by feeding on carrion, he said.