With their limited-edition Bearded Vulture themed water bottle, the Decathlon’s hiking brand ‘Quechua‘, will support conservation and reintroduction efforts of the magnificent Bearded Vulture in Europe. Sold in Europe, the children’s water bottle is available in hundreds of Decathlon shops and on Decathlon’s website.
About the limited-edition water bottle
With its design centre based at the foot of Mont Blanc, it was a natural choice for the brand to get involved in the preservation of a magnificent mountain species like the Bearded Vulture. The water bottle that features a vulture superhero design costs €10 and is a perfect gift for children. For every purchase of the bottle, 2€ will be donated to support the reintroduction and conservation efforts of the species. More precisely, to support the work carried out by Conservatoire de Haute-Savoie that lead conservation actions in France and us at the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF) that coordinate the reintroduction of the species in Europe.
About the Bearded Vulture and its conservation
The Bearded Vulture is one of the four vulture species present in Europe. This iconic mountain species has a special diet feeding almost exclusively on bones and a wingspan reaching nearly 3 metres. It was driven to extinction in the Alps during the 20th Century, and to bring the species back, pioneers from all Alpine countries initiated the reintroduction project in the 1970s. The first birds were released in 1986 at Hohe Tauern National Park, Austria, and in 1997 the first breeding pair successfully raised a chick in the wild in France, followed in 1998 by the first Italian reproduction that occurred in Stelvio National Park. Today, there are between 250 and 300 Bearded Vultures across the Alps. In 2020, 36 juvenile Bearded Vultures fledged in the wild out of the 52 breeding pairs. This reintroduction project has sparked the imagination and gathered the support of many stakeholders across the Alpine chain and is considered one of the best wildlife comeback stories of all times! The VCF continues to lead the reintroduction of the Bearded Vulture in the Alps and Europe, extending efforts across France and Spain, currently being involved in one restocking and four reintroduction projects.
A big thank you to Quechua for supporting our cause!
Learn more about this partnership.
