Bhopal vulture tracked in Pakistan’s Khanewal via Rajasthan route:Movement discovered after GPS signal stopped working

A vulture released from Bhopal has reached Pakistan via Rajasthan. The bird was found in Khanewal district of Pakistan. The Forest Department came to know about the development after the GPS signal attached to the vulture stopped working. The vulture was released on March 30 from Halali Dam near Bhopal. The site is scientifically selected for releasing vultures into their natural habitats. After release, the bird travelled through Rajasthan and crossed international borders, reaching Pakistan by April 6. On April 7, when no signal was received, WWF-India was immediately informed. Following this, WWF-India contacted its counterpart WWF-Pakistan. The Pakistan Forest Department and WWF-Pakistan successfully rescued the vulture from Khanewal district with the help of local residents. Vulture affected due to severe storm and hailstorm According to WWF-Pakistan, a severe hailstorm and storm in Khanewal and Multan districts on April 7 affected a Cinereous vulture and a Eurasian griffon vulture. Both birds were found on the ground and were temporarily unable to fly. After being informed by locals, wildlife officials rescued both vultures and provided first aid. They were later shifted to the Changa Manga Vulture Captive Breeding Centre. The Cinereous vulture had minor injuries and is now recovering. Both birds are feeding normally, although the tracking tag of this particular vulture could not be recovered. In 2025 also reached India via Pakistan In 2025 too, Van Vihar had recorded a significant success when a vulture released from Halali Dam travelled over 4,300 km to its breeding grounds in Kazakhstan. It later moved through Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan before returning to India in October. The study provided important insights into migration routes and conservation challenges. In the same sequence, on February 23, 2026, under the leadership of Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, five vultures including four long-billed vultures and one cinereous vulture were successfully rehabilitated, tagged and released into the wild.