Himalayan vulture crash-lands in Tak during migration
A rare Himalayan Griffon Vulture was rescued on January 19 after it collapsed in front of a house in Tak province, appearing too weak to fly and prompting residents to call for help.
The exhausted bird was first seen gliding overhead with its wings fully spread before it crash-landed behind a house in Chiang Thong subdistrict, Wang Chao district. The homeowner, Boonluea, said he heard loud wing flaps as a group of crows appeared to chase the large bird, which then perched on a teak tree behind his property.
It remained there for some time before losing its grip and falling to the ground, where it lay motionless for several minutes before standing up again. Boonluea kept his dogs away to protect the bird, then contacted local councillor Nopparat Manat, who alerted the relevant authorities.
Experts later confirmed the bird was a Himalayan Griffon Vulture, a species protected under Thai wildlife conservation law and considered near-threatened globally, with an estimated population of only 66,000.
Officials believe the bird was a young vulture migrating south from the Tibetan Plateau or western China, possibly for the first time. It may have been travelling toward the Indonesian archipelago when it became too exhausted to continue.
Dailynews reported that officers captured the bird and transported it to the Wildlife Conservation Division under Protected Area Regional Office 14 in Tak for rehabilitation and monitoring.
This latest case marks the third Himalayan vulture found in Thailand in recent months. In late December 2023, a juvenile vulture was rescued in Lopburi province and successfully rehabilitated before being released. Another was found in Satun earlier this January and is now under care at Kasetsart University Raptor Rehabilitation Unit.
Experts say young migrating vultures often become exhausted due to scarce food, shifting wind patterns, and the lack of thermal lift in humid tropical climates. Without access to natural carcasses and with their heavy body weight, these vultures often struggle to complete their journey and end up in unfamiliar areas.
Authorities remind the public that all vultures are protected under Thailand’s Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act B.E. 2562. Anyone who encounters an injured or stranded vulture is urged to call the Department of National Parks hotline at 1362 so officials can transfer the bird to a suitable rehabilitation centre.
In a separate animal rescue, two white lions rescued near the Thai-Cambodian border were given medical treatment in Ratchaburi, after wildlife officials discovered the animals were suffering from digestive problems.
