Goa, Sept. 6 -- With vultures having disappeared from nearly 72% of their historically recorded nesting sites across India, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Sunday stressed the need to strengthen conservation efforts for the country's most efficient scavengers and called for continued work to establish Vulture Safe Zones.

Speaking at an International Vulture Awareness Day 2026 event in Panchkula, Haryana, Yadav said the recovery of vulture populations in the wild would require safer veterinary practices, reliable food availability and stronger technical capacity. He urged veterinary professionals, livestock owners, local administrations and communities to support conservation initiatives and adopt safe carcass-management pra...