On 10 August, a Cinereous Vulture was launched in Portugal after being rehabilitated from a shot on its wing. Gerês, named after the place the place he was discovered (Gerês Nationwide Park), is the second Cinereous Vulture launched within the Douro Worldwide Nature Park inside the LIFE Aegypius Return venture.
A fractured wing and a number of lead pictures
On October 2022, Cinereous Vulture Gerês was discovered by the Instituto de Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas‘ (ICNF) workforce from the Wildlife Restoration Centre of Gerês (CRFS) with a wing fracture after being shot. The fowl was transferred to the Wild Animal Restoration Centre of the Veterinary Hospital of the College of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (CRAS-HVUTAD), the place it underwent orthopaedic surgical procedure and supportive remedy. X-ray examination confirmed the presence of a number of pellets within the wounded wing, thus confirming the reason for his ingress.
The vulture responded positively to the remedy, and the fracture healed within the anticipated time. Nonetheless, “as Gerês misplaced a few of its secondary feathers, that are important for environment friendly flight, he had a protracted keep within the restoration centre, ready for brand new wholesome feathers to develop in”, defined Filipa Loureiro, a veterinarian at CRAS-UTAD. The months of restoration additionally included physiotherapy and motor rehabilitation.
Cinereous Vulture, copyright Thomas Hansen, from the surfbirds galleries
From rehabilitation to launch: Cinereous Vulture Gerês flies once more
Recovering from fractured wings is an extended course of that requires the fowl to grasp the artwork of flying once more. Gerês was transferred to Environmental Interpretation and Animal Restoration Centre (CIARA) in Torre de Moncorvo, which has a big flight tunnel, to observe his flying expertise and recuperate bodily form.
As soon as Gerês confirmed indicators of being absolutely recovered, he was fitted with a GPS transmitter to allow the monitoring workforce to comply with his actions as soon as he’s again within the wild. Lastly, on 10 August, a number of fowl lovers, LIFE Aegypius Return venture companions and all entities concerned in rescuing and rehabilitating Gerês gathered at Miradouro do Carrascalinho (Freixo de Espada à Cinta) to witness his launch—a unbelievable viewpoint positioned on the coronary heart of the Douro Worldwide Nature Park. Gerês turned the second Cinereous Vulture launched on this website beneath the venture LIFE Aegypius Return, following the steps of Zimbro, a Cinereous Vulture launched in March 2023.
Why are we releasing Cinereous Vultures in Douro Worldwide Nature Park?
Among the many 4 Cinereous Vulture Portuguese colonies, the Douro holds essentially the most fragile, with solely two breeding pairs. Thought-about “Critically Endangered” in Portugal, the species was pushed to extinction (and severely threatened in lots of European areas) within the Seventies. Due to the populational enhance in Spain, Cinereous Vultures have been recolonising Portugal from the East, with the primary pair settled in 2010 in Tejo Worldwide Nature Park. Two years later, a pair was fashioned within the Douro Worldwide Nature Park and the second in 2019.
Regardless of the constructive outcomes of this breeding season, with Palombar (the venture accomplice chargeable for monitoring the northeastern colony) confirming a 3rd pair trying to breed within the area, the small inhabitants continues to be susceptible and really remoted. Within the framework of the venture LIFE Aegypius Return, an acclimatisation aviary will probably be constructed within the space this autumn to obtain rehabilitated birds and allow a gentle launch technique. This technique, which has confirmed very profitable in different conservation tasks and the simplest in reintroducing Griffon Vultures in Sardinia, includes an prolonged keep within the aviary earlier than launch. Extremely philopatric, the Cinereous Vultures will get used to their new setting and assume it because the place to return for breeding.
“This endangered fowl was saved and given a second alternative to return to the wild in a protected space with beneficial circumstances for the species. All these due to the joint work carried out by all of the entities concerned in its restoration,”
Preventing wildlife crime
Sadly, 1000’s of birds all through Europe proceed to be shot to dying or severely injured in restoration centres. Many by no means recuperate. Giant avian species, such because the Cinereous Vulture, are frequent victims, regardless that they maintain no looking worth, and their looking is strictly prohibited resulting from their conservation standing. There are some instances of felony prosecutions for wildlife crime; in France, a person will stand trial this autumn for fatally taking pictures a Cinereous and a Bearded Vultures.
Empowering nationwide authorities and technical groups in felony investigation is thus elementary to actively combating wildlife crime. In Portugal, this yr, 135 cops had been skilled in rescuing and dealing with injured birds in a collective effort that concerned 5 wildlife rescue centres throughout the species breeding vary. Due to the Wildlife Crime Academy programs, the VCF, with the collaboration of many accomplice organisations, has elevated the capability of dozens of technicians and nationwide authorities throughout a number of EU international locations.
The significance of working with hunters
Recognising the significance of collaborating with the looking sector, the LIFE Aegypius Return venture, with the Challenge accomplice ANPC, Associação Nacional de Proprietários Rurais Gestão Cinegética e Biodiversidade, has been organising and collaborating in public periods with the principle goals: to showcase the importance of scavenger species in sustaining ecosystem steadiness and to help hunters in transitioning to lead-free ammunition.
The LIFE Aegypius Return Challenge
Within the brief time period, the venture goals to double the breeding inhabitants in Portugal from 40 pairs in 4 colonies to no less than 80 pairs in no less than 5 websites. Other than all of the conservation actions meant to enhance nesting circumstances and meals availability, no less than 60 Cinereous Vultures will probably be fitted with a GPS transmitter and launched.
The LIFE Aegypius Return is a 3.7 million euro venture, co-financed by the European Union’s LIFE Programme, whose success depends on the involvement of all related stakeholders and the intensive collaboration of the main venture accomplice, the Vulture Conservation Basis (VCF), with all native companions: Palombar – Conservação da Natureza e do Património Rural, Herdade da Contenda, Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves (SPEA), Liga para a Protecção da Natureza (LPN), Associação Transumância e Natureza (ATN), Fundación Naturaleza y Hombre (FNHY), Guarda Nacional Republicana (GNR) and Associação Nacional de Proprietários Rurais Gestão Cinegética e Biodiversidade (APNC).
