During a three-day long census conducted at the Panna National Park recently, 1,700 vultures were counted within the periphery.

Madhya Pradesh Minister of State for Farmers' Welfare and Development Brajendra Pratap Singh made this announcement on tuesday.

A census was carried out at the Panna Tiger Reserve, situated close to India's only diamond mines, in which, 110 volunteers had taken part.

"Panna will not only be known for its famous diamond mines, but also for the national park, in which, besides tigers, vultures too were multiplying in large numbers," the minister said

Director of Panna National Park R Sriniwas Murthy said that out of the eight species of vultures, seven were found in the park, out of which, four are local, while three are migratory.