15 Spanish Griffon Vultures started a new chapter of their life in Sardinia, within the LIFE Safe for Vultures project framework. The group will spend a few months in the Villasalto acclimatisation aviary before joining the growing vulture population in South-East Sardinia.
From Spain to Sardinia in time for the holidays
At the end of December, a group of 10 males and 5 females Griffon Vultures (Gyps fulvus) crossed the sea from Spain to Sardinia. They were rescued, rehabilitated in Spain, and reached the Island in 2025, thanks to the collaboration between the LIFE Safe for Vultures project, VCF, and the Generalitat de Catalunya.
After the long journey, the LIFE Safe for Vultures team welcomed the vultures in the Bonassai Wildlife Rescue Centre. The team ensured that the vultures were healthy and comfortable, and equipped each one of them with an identification ring. The vultures will be transferred to Villasalto acclimatisation aviary later in January, and they will be released in 2026.
A healthy and growing Griffon Vulture population in South Sardinia
Expanding a species range is not an easy task. To create the best conditions for the expansion of Griffon Vultures in Southern Sardinia, the LIFE Safe for Vultures project worked relentlessly to reduce threats, such as poisoning, collision, and electrocution, and to offer vultures multiple safe feeding options. The supplementary feeding stations network, created in collaboration with local livestock breeders and partners, is crucial for the vultures expansion. In fact, it supports the growth of the Sardinian Griffon Vulture population and promotes the establishment of new local colonies.
The results of the most recent census showed that the restocking initiatives and the support and threat mitigation activities are producing encouraging results. A group of Griffon Vultures established their territory in South Sardinia close to the area where multiple vultures have been released by the project in recent years.
One step closer to the goal thanks to international collaboration
These vultures represent the fourth group of individuals reaching Sardinia for the LIFE Safe for Vultures restocking programme in 2025. The vast majority of the vultures reintroduced in Sardinia come from Spain thanks to international agreements. In this case, we want to thank Generalitat de Catalunya and the Vallcalent recovery centre for making this transfer possible.
The recent expansion of Griffon Vultures towards the South of Sardinia, where the project has been releasing Spanish vultures since 2021, is a promising sign for the establishment of a new colony in the area. Each released vulture carries the hope that Griffon Vultures will occupy their former range in Sardinia and represents the results of local and international efforts to protect the species.
LIFE Safe for Vultures
LIFE Safe for Vultures is co-financed by the EU’s LIFE Programme to restore the vulture guild in Sardinia. The University of Sassari leads the project in collaboration with Agenzia Regionale Forestas, Sardegna Corpo Forestale, E-Distribuzione and the Vulture Conservation Foundation. LIFE Safe for Vultures builds on the work of the successful LIFE Under Griffon Wings, with the ultimate objective for Griffon Vultures to regain their historic ranges and distribution areas from the central-eastern part of Sardinia to the south and promote the long-term survival of the species on the island. An additional feeding station will be established south of the island, and 40 additional Griffon Vultures will be translocated and released.
