Assam Vulture Release Revives Parsi Calls To Restore Birds At Mumbai’s Tower Of Silence

Mumbai, August 8, 2026: The release of five captive-bred slender-billed vultures into the wild in Assam on Friday has revived calls among Mumbai’s Parsi-Zoroastrian community to reintroduce the birds at the Tower of Silence cemetery on Malabar Hill.

The release marked the first known introduction of captive-bred slender-billed vultures into the wild anywhere in the world. Five white-rumped vultures were also released in the initiative jointly undertaken by the Assam Forest Department and the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) at the Jatayu Soft Release Centre in Tewaripal, Biswanath.

The birds were released through a scientific process known as ‘soft release’ after acclimatising for three months at a release aviary. Each bird has been fitted with a numbered blue leg ring and a back tag for monitoring.

Vulture Decline And Parsi Rituals

India is home to nine species of vultures, but their populations have plummeted. The Gyps vulture population has fallen by nearly 99 per cent over the past two decades, largely due to the use of veterinary diclofenac, along with other now-banned drugs such as aceclofenac, ketoprofen, and nimesulide.

This sharp decline has directly impacted the centuries-old dakhmas, or Towers of Silence, where the Parsi community traditionally practises Dokhmenashini (sky burial).

“While non-orthodox members are using crematoriums, the orthodox feel that Dokhmenashini will not work without vultures. Vultures can be introduced at the cemetery as they will stay if food is available,” said Dr Viraf Kapadia, a resident of Nepean Sea Road.

BNHS Raises Practical Concerns

However, BNHS Director Kishore Rithe noted that discussions with the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP), which manages the Doongerwadi site, have yet to yield a mutually acceptable plan.

“The birds have left Mumbai and Doongerwadi area is surrounded by human settlements. Unless food is available on a permanent basis and there is less human movement, the birds will not adopt the area. You will have to keep the birds in an enclosure if we want to do some experiment. I was told that the enclosure over the towers is not acceptable to the community. If the birds are kept in a separate enclosure, the bodies would have to be brought to the cages, which may not align with religious practices,” Rithe said.

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BPP Hopeful Of Solution

Adil Malia, a trustee of the BPP, expressed optimism about ongoing talks. “We are working closely with the BNHS. There have been experiments, but we need a permanent solution. We are positive that we can arrive at a solution,” he said.

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