Uttar Pradesh will soon have the world's first conservation and breeding centre for Asian king vultures in Maharajganj, a top forest official said.

• The facility aims to improve the population of the species, which has been listed as critically endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature's red list since 2007.
• S.K. Sharma, the principal chief conservator of forest and the head of Uttar Pradesh's forest force, said, "This is the world's first centre for breeding and conservation of Asian king vulture, also called red-headed vulture. It is now ready for formal inauguration."
• The centre is named Jatayu Conservation and Breeding Centre, where 24x7 monitoring of the vultures is being done.