A synchronised survey was conducted for the first time along the borders of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka on February 25th and 26th, during which 246 vultures were spotted. The survey was conducted in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and the surrounding areas, which includes the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Bandipur Tiger Reserve, and Nagerhole Tiger Reserve.
During the six-hour survey, which was carried out in four sessions, White-rumped vultures (183), Long-billed vultures (30), Red-headed vultures (28), Egyptian vultures (3), Himalayan Griffon (1), and Cinereous vulture (1) were sighted by volunteers from selected vantage points.
The vantage point count method was chosen as the survey methodology due to the hilly and undulating terrain, and the survey area was divided into hundred grids with one vantage point selected from each grid based on ease of accessibility. The survey was carried out based on inputs from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Vulture Specialist Group.