A near-threatened Himalayan vulture has been rescued near Kanpur's Benajhabar Idgah graveyard. The bird was found after a week in the area and, in a viral recorded clip, was seen in distress.

The rare Himalayan Griffon Vulture was found and handed over to Uttar Pradesh Forest Department by the localites. The injured raptorial bird was unable to fly when discovered and has been sent for 15-day quarantine at Allen Forest zoo's veterinary hospital.

The Himalayan Griffon, or the Himalayan vulture, is known to be one of the burliest birds native to the Himalayas and the bordering Tibetan Plateau. The species, with striking bald white head and broad hefty wings, sometimes migrates to northern India.

The largest genus of the Gyps species, this giant Old World vulture weighs from 8-12 kgs, has 95-130 cm body length, and usually at an elevation of 3,900–18,000 ft.

"They can live up to 40-45 years of age," Indian Forest Service officer Praveen Kaswan took to Twitter to add.

Listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, the species is also protected under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. As part of preservation measures, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) rolled out a 'Vulture Action Plan 2020-25' for the conservation of the predatory birds in India.

Zoo veterinarian Dr Nasir Zaidi mentioned that the bird weighs approximately 8 kgs and is being monitored by a team of doctors in the hospital premises. It has been kept away from other birds. "There are already four Himalayan Griffon vultures in the zoo," he added.

There is another vulture supposedly in the Benajhabar area, confirmed District Forest Officer Shraddha Yadav. "The sighting of a pair of Himalayan vultures has come to the fore. There is one more vulture in Benajhabar area," she mentioned. The search is underway to find and protect the other vulture.