Vultures under Threat

Mrchožraví živočichové hrají v přírodě důležitou roli zdravotní policie, která odklízí mrtvá zvířata, čímž zabraňuje šíření chorob. Jejich stavy však celosvětově klesají, a to zejména vinou otrav.

An Egyptian vulture (right) and a griffon vulture (left) at a feeding site in Bulgaria
Photo: Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo

The food that vultures find in the wild in today’s Europe often represents a ticking time bomb. It may be poisoned baits that farmers illegally set out for wolves and jackals, or carrions from animals shot with lead-containing cartridges that are toxic to vultures. Livestock carcasses can also pose a risk, as they frequently contain residues of veterinary drugs that can be fatal for vultures, weaken their immune systems, and reduce their breeding success. During their annual migration between Europe and Africa, many vultures also die after colliding with power lines or wind turbines, or fall victim to illegal capture.

The Balkan population of Egyptian vultures numbers only a few dozen breeding pairs and is classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Yet the Balkans are one of the two main starting points for the species’ migration. Roughly half of this population—over thirty breeding pairs—lives in Bulgaria. For this reason, Prague Zoo has been developing a project in cooperation with the Bulgarian conservation organisation Green Balkans since 2013, with the long-term goal of returning captive-bred Egyptian vultures to the wild in the Balkans.