Exciting developments this month against vultures' most significant threat — poisoning!

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** Vulture Conservation Foundation news bulletin
November 2020
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** Farmer who used poison baits in Andalusia, killing two Bearded Vultures, was convicted!
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At last, some justice was served as the farmer who laced a sheep carcass with poison four years ago in Andalusia, killing several wild animals, finally got convicted. Two of the victims that died from this poisoning incident were Zafra and Bujaraiza, two Bearded Vultures released into the wild as part of the reintroduction project led by the Junta de Andalucía in collaboration with us here at the Vulture Conservation Foundation.

Unfortunately, this outcome is the exception to the rule since illegal wildlife poisoning rarely gets properly investigated and even more rarely reaches court and a conviction. This conviction became a reality after diligent and devoted work by the authorities, proper investigation and legal involvement. We applaud the efforts of everyone involved in bringing the perpetrator responsible to justice and urge authorities elsewhere to follow suit in taking this environmental crime seriously and taking the right measures to persecute criminals and combat this illegal practice!

Farmer who used poison baits in Andalusia, killing two Bearded Vultures, CONVICTED at last! ([link removed])


** A successful Kick-off Meeting of the BalkanDetox LIFE Project
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The BalkanDetox LIFE ([link removed]) Kick-off Meeting took place on Monday, 30 November 2020, signifying the start of this important project that aims to fight illegal wildlife poisoning in the Balkans by raising awareness and strengthening national capacities.

The meeting successfully brought together all nine project partners with relevant stakeholders to discuss the project scope, objectives, deliverables and timeline, while also enabling new connections, expertise exchange and collaboration reinforcement.

A successful Kick-off Meeting of the newly launched LIFE project BalkanDetox LIFE ([link removed])


Follow BalkanDetox LIFE on Facebook ([link removed])


** Latest news about Europe's
four vulture species
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** Bearded Vulture
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Attempting three new Bearded Vulture pair bondings in the largest specialized breeding centre of the species ([link removed])

Please participate in this survey if you observed or attempted to observe Bearded Vulture "Vigo" in the UK ([link removed])

Bearded Vulture reintroduction in Andalusia: a breakup led to two new pair formations, and 2020 welcomes a new territorial pair! ([link removed])

Pyrenees Bearded Vulture Peraire now flies in Maestrazgo where the species is being reintroduced ([link removed])

Research Review: Risk of exposure to diclofenac and other NSAIDs for vultures in Iberia and update on the situation in South Asia ([link removed])

Bearded Vulture pair built nest in Granada Province for the first time since the reintroduction of the species in Andalusia ([link removed])

Arrival of three Griffon Vultures to the most important Bearded Vulture Captive Breeding Centre to help monitor the West Nile Virus threat ([link removed])


** Griffon Vulture
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Arrival of three Griffon Vultures to the most important Bearded Vulture Captive Breeding Centre to help monitor the West Nile Virus threat ([link removed])

Two Griffon Vultures left Dresden zoo for a new island life in Sardinia ([link removed])

Research Review: Risk of exposure to diclofenac and other NSAIDs for vultures in Iberia and update on the situation in South Asia ([link removed])


** Egyptian Vulture
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From Italy to Mali: Captive-bred and released Egyptian Vultures reach sub-Saharan Africa ([link removed])

Research Review: Risk of exposure to diclofenac and other NSAIDs for vultures in Iberia and update on the situation in South Asia ([link removed])


** Cinereous Vulture
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Research Review: Risk of exposure to diclofenac and other NSAIDs for vultures in Iberia and update on the situation in South Asia ([link removed])


** Latest news from our
vulture conservation projects
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The ([link removed]) LIFE RE-Vultures ([link removed]) project, led by Rewilding Europe, aims to support the recovery of Cinereous and Griffon Vulture populations in the cross border Rhodope Mountain region.

Latest news
More fallow deer relocated in the Eastern Rhodopes to support vulture conservation and broader rewilding goals ([link removed])

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The LIFE with Vultures ([link removed]) project, led by BirdLife Cyprus, aims to save the threatened Griffon Vulture population in Cyprus by tackling key threats and restocking their population.

Latest news

Illegal use of poison baits in the Cypriot countryside killed one-third of the Griffon Vulture population in recent years ([link removed])

New study estimates the extinction risk for Cyprus Griffon Vultures and identifies priority actions for their conservation ([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
Released Bearded Vulture Sureau that can no longer fly due to injury has a new mission in life ([link removed])

Call for testimony for Dolomie — the reintroduced Bearded Vulture illegally shot and killed in France ([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
From the Balkans to the Middle East: The vast travels of a wandering Griffon Vulture ([link removed])

Kajazo and Alex — a unique 'pairing'
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Kajazo is a Bearded Vulture while Alex is human, so how can these two form a 'pairing'? Well, it's a one of a kind story, showing the commitment of experts in bringing back the Bearded Vulture to Europe.

Kajazo is a human imprinted Bearded Vulture that adopts a chick every year in captivity to rear it naturally, so that the little one can grow up to live in the wild and breed with its conspecifics. However, to recognize the adopted chick as his own, Kajazo first needs to go through the entire breeding period each year. But how is this possible since this vulture recognizes humans as his own species? He 'pairs' with his human keeper Alex, the VCF's Captive Breeding Vultures Manager and the Bearded Vulture EEP Coordinator, during the breeding period, which entails a lot of nest building and incubation of a dummy egg!

Kajazo - a human imprinted Bearded Vulture male 'pairs' with his human keeper to become a foster parent to a chick ([link removed])
Guide for attaching harness tracking devices to vultures and condors
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Monitoring vultures and condors' movements and behaviour through tracking devices can contribute both to basic and applied research and conservation. Furthermore, this technology can help identify and tackle threats, enable conservationists to map and manage more appropriately nesting, roosting and foraging areas, and rescue birds on time, if something goes wrong.

However, there has been an urgent need to identify and disseminate expertise relating to the attachment of tracking devices to vultures and condors. To address these needs, the IUCN ([link removed]) Vulture Specialist Group brought together global experts that have attached tracking and telemetry devices to vultures and condors using several methods and various designs and patagial tags to share expertise, discuss the safety of different techniques and so, help produce "A practical guide to methods for
attaching research devices to vultures and condors ([link removed]) ".

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])
DONATE ([link removed])
Photo credits: Junta de Andalucía, Vulture Conservation Foundation, Bruno Berthemy, Hansruedi Weyrich and Shane Elliott
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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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