KARACHI: Two endangered white-backed vultures have been successfully bred at the Changa Manga conservation facility in Pakistan. This is the first successful captive breeding of the endangered species in Pakistan, said the Worldwide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan). White-backed vultures were declared an endangered species last year by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). “Two healthy white-backed vulture chicks were hatched at Changa Manga Vulture Conservation Centre in February this year. Both chicks are now over six weeks old and continue to grow well under the watchful eyes of their parents,” said Hammad Naqi Khan, director general of the WWF-Pakistan. The facility, some 80 kilometres southwest of Lahore, currently houses 15 white-backed vultures, out of which one pair belongs to Nagarparkar, Tharparkar. Two pairs are oriental birds bred successfully this year, while two other pairs have shown encouraging signs of breeding behaviour, he said. The Nagarparkar Teshil of the Tharparkar District in Sindh hosts the last few birds of the critically endangered white-backed and long-billed vultures. Nagarparkar, surrounded by Karoonjhar hills, is the only place in Pakistan where critically endangered long-billed vultures are found. “The survival of these chicks is a significant achievement in bringing this critically endangered species back from the verge of extinction. This successfully bred population will contribute to achieving a viable population, once released, and indicates the high standards of husbandry and care protocols in place for these birds at the conservation centre,” Khan said.