Read about our new LIFE project tackling wildlife poisoning in the Balkans and register to participate in the Bearded Vulture Technical Webinar! 

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** Vulture Conservation Foundation news bulletin
October 2020
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** The launch of the BalkanDetox LIFE project
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We are excited to announce BalkanDetox LIFE ([link removed]) , our new LIFE project aiming to combat illegal wildlife poisoning across seven Balkan countries!

Even though wildlife poisoning is illegal in the Balkans, it is still widespread and continues to harm nature, people and wildlife. Over the years, this damaging practice has caused severe depletion and even extinction of vulture species in certain regions.

Now, with funding from the EU's LIFE Programme, we are launching the BalkanDetox LIFE project, which was built on the good grounds made by the Vulture Conservation Foundation's (VCF) Balkan Anti-Poisoning Project ([link removed]) . BalkanDetox LIFE is led by the VCF in a joint effort with eight Balkan organizations to raise awareness and strengthen national capacities among key stakeholders in order to minimize the scale and scope of wildlife poisoning across seven Balkan countries.

You can stay tuned with the news and achievements of BalkanDetox LIFE by following the dedicated Facebook page of the project ([link removed]) .


** Join us in the upcoming
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Bearded Vulture Technical Webinar
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If you work with Bearded Vultures or are simply a fan of this magnificent species, make sure you join us for the upcoming Bearded Vulture Technical Webinar ([link removed]) we are organizing, which is free and open to all!

During the Bearded Vulture Technical Webinar, experts from across Europe, Nepal and Southern Africa, working in different areas of Bearded Vulture conservation and research, will join us to celebrate the species and discuss the latest updates and results of their work.

To participate in the Zoom Webinar, you need to register ([link removed]) . Otherwise, you can watch the Webinar live on our Facebook ([link removed]) and YouTube ([link removed]) pages.

We hope you join us on Friday, 13 November 2020, from 2 pm - 5 pm CET!

P.S. The Programme of the Webinar is now published ([link removed]) and you can review it to learn more about the speakers and presentations!
Register now! ([link removed])


** Latest news about Europe's
four vulture species
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** Bearded Vulture
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Bearded vulture in the UK: Speculations are over as genetic analysis reveals origin and sex ([link removed])

Possible observation of Bearded Vulture "Vigo" in France ([link removed])

Latest newsletter of the IUCN's Vulture Specialist Group (October 2020) ([link removed])



** Griffon Vulture
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Book: A Vulture Landscape — Twelve Months in Extremadura ([link removed])

Increase in the number of Griffon Vultures in the Alps with a record number of individuals observed ([link removed])

Vulture Conservation Foundation's position on the proposal to legalize poison bait use in Bulgaria's nature ([link removed])

Latest newsletter of the IUCN's Vulture Specialist Group (October 2020) ([link removed])


** Egyptian Vulture
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World Migratory Bird Day: A closer look into the movements of the Egyptian Vulture — Europe's only long-distance migratory vulture ([link removed])

Incredible efforts to rescue a juvenile weakened Egyptian Vulture in a war zone! ([link removed])

Vulture Conservation Foundation's position on the proposal to legalize poison bait use in Bulgaria's nature ([link removed])

Latest newsletter of the IUCN's Vulture Specialist Group (October 2020) ([link removed])


** Cinereous Vulture
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Latest newsletter of the IUCN's Vulture Specialist Group (October 2020) ([link removed])

Vulture Conservation Foundation's position on the proposal to legalize poison bait use in Bulgaria's nature ([link removed])


** Latest news from our
vulture conservation projects
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Vultures Back to LIFE ([link removed]) led by Green Balkans and the Fund for Wild Flora and Fauna, aims to reintroduce the Cinereous Vulture back to Bulgaria since it was declared extinct in the 1980s.

Latest news​
Cinereous Vulture population in Extremadura is booming, helping support reintroduction efforts in Bulgaria ([link removed])

Celebrating the ten-year anniversary of the first Griffon Vulture releases in the Balkan Mountains, Bulgaria, to reintroduce the species ([link removed])

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The LIFE Rupis ([link removed]) project, led by Portuguese wildlife organisation SPEA and co-funded by the MAVA Foundation, is working in the cross-border Douro region of Spain and Portugal to protect and strengthen the populations of Egyptian Vultures and Bonelli's Eagle.

Latest news
Surprise GPS data received from Egyptian Vulture Rupis after nearly a year without information ([link removed])

The Egyptian Vulture Fangueiro finally reaches Africa against all odds! ([link removed])

Portuguese Cinereous Vulture rescued, rehabilitated, tagged and released in the Douro ([link removed])

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The LIFE Rupis ([link removed]) project, led by Portuguese wildlife organisation SPEA and co-funded by the MAVA Foundation, is working in the cross-border Douro region of Spain and Portugal to protect and strengthen the populations of Egyptian Vultures and Bonelli's Eagle.

Latest news
Carcass filled with lead shot pellets: Young Bearded Vulture reintroduced this summer in the Grands Causses (France) illegally shot and killed ([link removed])

Watch: Achievements of the LIFE GypConnect project ([link removed])

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The Balkan Anti-Poisoning Project ([link removed]) is bringing together stakeholders in five Balkan countries to tackle illegal wildlife poisoning.

Latest news
It is impossible to prove that an animal was poisoned in Bosnia and Herzegovina as there is no toxicological analysis ([link removed])

Tenth anniversary of first Griffon Vulture releases in the Balkan Mountains
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Ten years ago, an ambitious project began in Bulgaria to bring back the Griffon Vulture to the Balkan Mountains where the species was driven to extinction.

Today, after tackling threats and releasing both wild-hatched and captive-bred Griffon Vultures into the wild, the species made a comeback in Stara Planina ([link removed]) ! Not only was this reintroduction project a success, but it paved the way for the reintroduction of the Cinereous Vulture with the Vultures Back to LIFE ([link removed]) project, and helped build the foundations for the future plans to return the Bearded Vulture to the Balkans!
Egyptian Vulture Fangueiro finally
reaches Africa against all odds!
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The Egyptian Vulture Fangueiro successfully crossed the sea, reached Africa ([link removed]) and is making his way towards his wintering grounds ([link removed]) after a challenging past.

Shortly after the Egyptian Vulture hatched and left the nest in 2019, he needed help as he was found weak, malnourished and with problematic feathers. To make a recovery, he almost spent a year in rehabilitation where he had several operations and treatments to grow new feathers but also got new ones through imping, which entails glueing feathers from another bird ([link removed]) . Following months of diligent care, he was nursed back to health and was released in the Douro in Portugal this summer!

The whole team involved were anxious to see what will happen next, considering that Fangueiro spent his first months of life in captivity and suffered from a lot of health issues before. Would he attempt and manage to migrate to Africa for his first autumn migration this year? Well, as it turns out, not only did Fangueiro cross the Strait of Gibraltar to reach Africa successfully, but he did so in a mere 20 minutes according to the GPS data. Furthermore, once he reached Morocco, he continued heading south and making good progress, heading towards his wintering grounds!

What an inspiring story showing the resilience of these birds - let's hope Fanguiero will return to Europe one day and breed — we will closely monitor his movements and keep you informed!

We here at the Vulture Conservation Foundation follow the movements of several vultures as part of different projects. You can track the movements of all the European vulture species we tagged within our different projects and regions by visiting our online public maps ([link removed]) .

Bearded Vulture online maps ([link removed])
Cinereous Vulture online maps ([link removed])
Egyptian Vulture online maps ([link removed])
Griffon Vulture online maps ([link removed])
Photo credits: Hristo Peshev/FWFF, Hansruedi Weyrich, Bruno Berthemy, Green Balkans, VCF
Follow us on social media and keep up to date with the latest news from the Vulture Conservation Foundation.
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If you have any news you would like to share, please contact Eleni Karatzia (mailto:[email protected]) , Events, Outreach and Communications Officer.

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