he sighting of a pair of critically endangered Asian king vultures and a juvenile in the Sigur plateau is a cause for optimism that the species may be re-establishing itself in the region, experts say. The population of the Asian king vulture, like most vulture species in India, has crashed over the last five decades. The Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR), encompassing both the Sigur plateau and the Moyar valley, is believed to be home to 12-14 individuals. Since research began around a decade ago, not a single nesting site of the species has been found in the MTR.