A near-threatened Himalayan Griffon vulture was rescued in Kanpur.

The rare Himalayan Griffon vulture is being monitored by a team of veterinarians at the Allen Forest Zoo's veterinary hospital.

A rare Himalayan Griffon vulture was rescued from the Eidgah cemetery in Kanpur’s Colonelganj area earlier this week. The injured bird was handed over to the forest department by the local residents in the presence of the police.

Himalayan Griffon vulture was rescued

Currently, the bird is being monitored by a team of veterinarians at the Allen Forest Zoo’s veterinary hospital. Knocksense has cited veterinarian Dr Nasir Zaidi as saying that the bird weighs about 8 kg and is being kept away from other birds for some time.

As its name suggests the Himalayan Griffon vulture inhabits the higher regions of the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau. They can fly at an elevation of up to 5,500 metre with help of their wide and powerful wings. They are scavenger birds and are listed as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

After the bird was captured by the local residents, many videos began circulating online showing people holding the bird by its wings for pictures and videos. One such video was posted on Twitter by the Navbharat Times. However, the video incorrectly said that the vulture is believed to be hundreds of years old. Read more on..