Barded Vulture Biès has returned in the wild after 18 months in recovery! Thanks to the hard work of Parc national des Pyrénées and Hegalaldia Centre de Sauvegarde de la Faune sauvage, the vulture can fly in the Pyrenees once again!
Rescuing Biès
Biès at the recovery centre (c) Hegalaldia Centre de Sauvegarde de la Faune sauvage
The Parc national des Pyrénées discovered Biès 18 months ago who was injured with a dislocated shoulder, winged feathers and suffering from an infection. She was then transferred to the Hegalaldia Centre de Sauvegarde de la Faune sauvage for treatment. Thanks to the care and tenacity of the dedicated team at the centre, she made a full recovery!
Releasing Biès
Biès during her release (c) Nicolas Sabathier/La République des Pyrénées
After 18 months in recovery, Biès was finally ready for her release! On Wednesday, 28 August 2019, hundreds of people gathered to see her fly in nature for the first time in months. The vulture was keen to explore the area, she immediately took off and hovered for a long time. A Griffon Vulture and a Red kite flew alongside Biès, welcoming her in the Aspe Valley, an area with many birds of prey.
We hope the vulture will have a long future ahead of her in nature! Perhaps the next time we see her she will be more orange, having bathed in mud to add a reddish colour to her plumage.
