Greater Adjutant stork

Recently, a pair of greater adjutant storks — a species facing extinction — was artificially bred in Assam State Zoo and Botanical Garden.

• This is probably the first instance in the world where artificial breeding of greater adjutant stork — called hargila in Assam — was successfully done inside a zoo.
• The greater adjutant stork, one of the 20 stork species in the world, is on the brink of extinction due to habitat loss. Eight stork species, including this, are found in India.

Greater Adjutant stork (Leptoptilos dubius)

• The large stork has a massive wedge-shaped bill, a bare head and a distinctive neck pouch.
• They feed mainly on carrion and offal.
• The English name is derived from their stiff “military” gait when walking on the ground.
• Large numbers once lived in Asia, but have declined greatly, possibly due to improved sanitation, to the point of being endangered.
• Greater Adjutant is once abundantly distributed in Southeast Asia, this stork is now restricted to a few isolated pockets in Assam and Bihar in India and PrekToal in Cambodia.

Source: News on Air

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