Rare Himalayan vulture seen on ECP rescued by ACRES, to be rehabilitated for release

Himalayan vulture seen on ECP suffers from dehydration & exhaustion, says ACRES

A Himalayan vulture caused a stir when it was spotted along the East Coast Parkway (ECP) on Sunday (11 Jan).

It was eventually rescued by the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES), but not before being the subject of numerous photos and videos posted online.

Girl calls Himalayan vulture on ECP a ‘turkey’

One user shared on the Nature Society Singapore Facebook group that his family was walking back from East Coast Lagoon on Sunday when his daughter said, “Look! It’s a turkey!”

He informed her that it was actually a vulture, and snapped photos of the bird in the middle of the road, as well as perched on the kerb.

When it moved to the grass verge, many people were taking photos of it, including a Foodpanda delivery rider.

The bird subsequently flapped its wings to try to take off, though it appeared to be having some trouble getting off the ground.

Injured vulture almost run over on the ECP

Another netizen said on TikTok that she was driving along the ECP towards Changi when a vulture “nosedived” and landed in front of her car.

This resulted in her having to hit the brakes and stop in the middle of the expressway to avoid running over the bird.

Her video showed the bird limping towards the road shoulder.

Her husband, who got out of the car to stop traffic so the vulture could pass, noticed that the bird was injured.

She added that the incident was “very shocking” and she was lucky that no accident occurred.

Vulture also seen along Tanah Merah Coast Road

Yet another user shared in the Bird Sightings group on Facebook that he spotted a vulute along Tanah Merah Coast Road on Saturday (10 Jan).

Soon after, the bird was “escorted” by crows towards the Terminal 5 worksite, he said.

However, it is uncertain whether this vulture was the same one as the vulture seen on the ECP the following day.

Himalayan vulture was stranded in a canal, rescued by ACRES

In response to queries from Channel NewsAsia (CNA), ACRES Chief Executive Officer Kalai Vanan Balakrishnan said its hotline received a call about a distressed large bird along the ECP.

The bird was “struggling” along the expressway and had also been stranded in a canal, he added.

Three volunteers safely rescued the bird, which was identified as a male Himalayan vulture.

Vulture suffers dehydration & exhaustion

According to an initial diagnosis by ACRES’ veterinary team, the vulture suffered from “dehydration, overall weakness and overall exhaustion” due to its long migratory voyage.

It is now being cared for ACRES, which is still assessing its condition.

They hope to fully rehabilitate the bird and release it “in the near future”, Mr Kalai said.

MS News has reached out to ACRES for more information.

Vultures previously seen above Clementi

As Himalayan vultures are native to the Himalayas and Central Asia, the species is typically found at high altitudes.

That means it is unusual for them to make an appearance in Singapore,

Earlier this month, a flock was seen gliding over Clementi, with a resident telling MS News that it was “an unexpected visual gift”.

They later spent the night in Maju Forest, he said.

Also read: Rare Himalayan vultures spotted outside Clementi home window, spend night in Maju Forest

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Featured image adapted from John Lynn via Nature Society Singapore on Facebook and @hayedehs on TikTok.