Bulgaria’s Griffon Vultures Have Made a Remarkable Resurgence

Bald - headed and hunched over , the Griffon vultures of Bulgaria look like they ’ve been put through the wringer — and they have . But now , nearly half a hundred since the creature was presumed exit , a team of conservationists have confirmed the skulk scavengers have a static procreation population of around 80 birds in the land .

The team ’s summation of the last decennary of preservation efforts wasreportedin the opened memory access Biodiversity Data Journal . The projection was found and run by three NGOs in Bulgaria : the Fund for Wild Flora and Fauna , Green Balkans , and the Birds of Prey Protection Society . The conservationist who report the recent succeeder noted about 25 couple of breeding shuttle , though the number of fledge predator per pair is still low at around one fledge for every two pairs .

Though Griffon vultures confront no quick extinction threat , they were dare out of Bulgaria by the seventies until a few someone were detect along the country ’s border with Greece . marauder often have a bad repp , especially when put up against more magnetic dame of prey like eagles and sea eagle . But that has n’t break off the Griffon vulture from reclaim its chain of mountains .

Bulgaria’s Griffon vultures are in dire straits compared to other populations in Europe.

Bulgaria’s Griffon vultures are in dire straits compared to other populations in Europe.Image:Wikimedia Commons

Restoration was a simple enough process , at least on composition . The Bulgarian squad imported captive and rescued vultures from elsewhere in Europe to affix the minuscule population environmentalist stumbled upon in the late 1970s . The first local fledging was only describe in 2016 , though since then , about 30 bird have been sent off into the wild . But the work is n’t quite over , either . Some of the animals still rely on feeding locations for their carrion , a piranha ’s preferred fiesta , though arecent studyreported that about 80 % of the Bronx cheer in easterly Bulgaria start out by on carcasses they found in the domain . But the animals still do n’t have a enormous success pace once they ’re fend for themselves . About one - third of the animals released from one land site buy the farm , most due to burning on local power line .

The Griffon vulture is an crucial pace - compositor for the cinereous and whiskery vultures , the other vultures native to Bulgaria . Both are also presumed out in the country , but found in parts of Asia . If Griffon vulture proves to be a winner tale , environmentalist could bring the other carrion lovers to Bulgaria once again .

The vultures still have a farseeing way back from relative namelessness in the region . But the programs have been working and now it may just be a matter of fourth dimension until they ’re back up in the pecking guild .

A Griffon vulture in flight.