The Egyptian Vulture is one of the most endangered birds of prey in Europe. One of the populations on the verge of extinction is that in the Balkans, which consist of less than 30 adult pairs. For several years now Prague Zoo has been making considerable efforts in restoring their numbers.

“Since 2002, we have been keeping the European Studbook for Egyptian Vultures and we’ve been running the European Conservation Programme since 2012,” said Miroslav Bobek, Director of Prague Zoo. “We also give long-term support to the Bulgarian nature conservationists who do a great deal of work with the vultures. We contributed to the construction of an aviary at the rescue station in Stara Zagora and to setting up feeding sites for wild vultures in the Rhodope Mountains. Last year, thanks to the help of Komerční banka, we gave the Green Balkans organisation an off-road vehicle to aid their work. But of course we have the greatest pleasure from being able to return vultures – especially Egyptian Vultures – to the wild.”

Working in collaboration with Green Balkans, BirdLife Bulgaria and the VCF (Vulture Conservation Foundation), we’ve managed to successfully release eight vultures in the Bulgarian mountains since 2016 and the two young from 2018 will soon join them. Prague Zoo uses various methods to return the birds to the wild depending on the situation on the ground: for four birds it was a so-called delayed release, one youngster was given to a foster couple in Stara Zagora before being released and five young vultures – including the ones from Zlín and Prague – were put into an artificial nest.

“Before their release, the two young vultures will spend about three weeks in an artificial nest in the Eastern Rhodopes. The nest is in a recess on the cliff face. It is covered and has netting in front of it. Here they will gradually become accustomed to natural food, including tortoises and lizards,” explains Antonín Vaidl, curator of bird breeding. Local conservationists will feed the vultures using a tube so that they don’t come into contact with people. Both birds were given radio transmitters, and their readiness for release is checked using a camera located directly in the nest. At the time of release the netting will be taken down and the birds will fly off; however, they will be able to return to the artificial nest and the conservationists will continue to feed them.

The first Egyptian Vultures to be hatched at Prague Zoo was back in 2000. Since then, there have been three pairs breeding at Prague Zoo and they have hatched 28 chicks. No other zoo in the world can boast such a result. “We were also the first to breed three young Egyptian Vultures in one nest under foster care,” adds Antonín Vaidl and concludes: “These breeding successes are all the more valuable because our youngsters are released into the wild, thus strengthening the disappearing populations of Europe’s most endangered vultures.

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