By Rhishja Larson •
September 21, 2009
A pair of male vultures at the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo who successfully reared two chicks together have split up and started new families with female vultures.
Ten years ago, two male Griffon vultures met and fell in love. They built a nest - as vultures do - but couldn’t produce an egg.
The situation prompted Israeli zoololgist Shmuel Yidov try an experiment: A newly-hatched vulture chick was carefully placed inside a swan’s egg shell and slipped into Dashik and Yehuda’s nest.
By Rhishja Larson •
September 2, 2009
In order to raise awareness for vulture conservation and educate the public about the threats facing these majestic birds, September 5, 2009 has been designated as International Vulture Awareness Day.
Over 100 organizations from around the world will be participating in International Vulture Awareness Day 2009 (IVAD09), a worldwide event that aims to publicize vulture conservation to a global audience and to bring attention to the work being done by vulture experts.
By Rhishja Larson •
August 17, 2009
Conservationists suspect EU regulations on dead animal removal have caused the griffon vulture population in Spain’s Hoces del Río Riaza National Park to plummet.
In an effort to curtail the spread of mad cow disease, the EU passed legislation in 2003 requiring the “prompt” removal of animal carcasses by farmers. Unfortunately, this has had a disastrous effect on the griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) residing in Hoces del Río Riaza National Park.
By Rhishja Larson •
August 5, 2009
Photo-hungry tourists are killing Croatia’s Eurasian Griffon Vultures by rousing them from nests perched on vertical cliffs.
On the Croatian islands of Cres, Krk, Plavnik and Prvić, protected Eurasian Griffon Vultures (Gyps fulvus) nest just above the sea on vertical cliffs. Tourists flock to the area in boats, and upon reaching the areas below the nests, they clap and shout in order to startle the birds into taking flight - hoping to photograph these majestic raptors.
Tragically, many of the birds are young and do not yet know how to fly. Once they are frightened from their nests, they fall into the water and drown.
The Croatian Times reported that five vultures have been killed so far this year, and another five are under the care of Eco-Center Caput Insulae-Beli (ECCIB), a non-profit and non-governmental organization established to protect the natural and cultural-historical heritage on the Croatian Island of Cres.
