The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) will release six vultures in Assam in January 2026, finalizing the dates soon. This includes three male and three female slender-billed and white-rumped vultures, aged two to three years. These birds were bred at the BNHS Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre in Rani, Kamrup district. BNHS Senior Scientist Dr. Sachin Ranade said Kamrup and Biswanath districts were chosen because they fall within vultures' natural range where some wild vultures already live. Biswanath is near Kaziranga National Park. The vultures will stay in the area for at least three months to adapt to the wild. "Since they have been bred in captivity, this will be their first experience of true wilderness," explained Dr. Ranade. Vultures live in flocks, mature after five years, and can live up to 50 to 60 years. The founder vultures were collected from different parts of Assam. Slender-billed vultures are mainly found in Assam, while white-rumped vultures are found across India. India currently has about 20,000 vultures from nine species, including endangered and critically endangered types like the white-rumped and slender-billed vultures. BNHS has worked with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and Assam Forest Department for over 15 years to prepare for this release. They conduct village meetings to educate locals about vultures and the dangers of certain medicines and pesticides. Dr. Ranade said, "We request locals and paravets to use only vulture-safe medicines like meloxicam and tolfenamic acid on cattle." Poison baiting has been a problem in Assam, where carcasses are laced with pesticides to kill stray dogs, harming vultures who feed on them. BNHS Director Kishor Rithe said, "The campaign is very important for the success of the vulture release programme. We thank Assam’s Forest and Animal Husbandry Departments for their support." Dr. Ranade added, "Released vultures will help control pollution and disease spread by feeding on cattle carcasses. Assam is the stronghold of slender-billed vultures in India. Protecting this species is vital for global conservation."