On 27 May 2025, two young female Bearded Vultures (Gypaetus barbatus), Generl and Luisa, were released into the wild in Klausbach Valley, within the breathtaking Berchtesgaden National Park. This marks the fifth consecutive year of releases by the Landesbund für Vogelschutz in Bayern (LBV) and Berchtesgaden National Park, in cooperation with the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF).
A milestone for Bearded Vultures in Germany
The release of Generl and Luisa brings the total number of individuals reintroduced in the “Project Bartgeier” to ten. The goal is to reestablish a self-sustaining breeding population in the Eastern Alps—140 years after the species was eradicated from the region due to persecution and myth-driven fear.
Since 2021, two Bearded Vultures have been released annually at the same site in Berchtesgaden National Park.
- 2021: Bavaria & Wally
- 2022: Dagmar & Recka
- 2023: Sisi & Nepomuk
- 2024: Vinzenz & Wiggerl
- 2025: Luisa & Generl
Meet Generl
Generl hatched on 25 February 2025 at Ostrava Zoo in Czech Republic. She is the younger of two chicks that hatched to an experienced and stable pair—the older of two breeding pairs at the zoo.
For safety reasons, both of this year’s eggs were removed from the nest and incubated artificially. On 10 March, Generl was transferred to Natur- und Tierpark Goldau in Switzerland, where she was raised by foster parents Mascha and Hans.
She was named after mountaineer Eugenie “Generl” Buhl, a native of Ramsau and widow of legendary alpinist Hermann Buhl, the first person to summit Nanga Parbat. The Bergwacht Ramsau chose the name to honour Generl Buhl, who recently passed away at the age of 100.
- Code: BG 1265
- Origin: Ostrava Zoo, Czechia
- Hatching Date: 25 February 2025
- Birth Weight: 233 g
- Parents: BG207 × BG233
- Foster Parents: Mascha & Hans (Goldau, Switzerland)
- Siblings: 11 offspring and 2 foster chicks (mostly released)
- Ring Colour: Red/Black (R/L)
- Release Date: 27 May 2025
- Age at Release: 92 days
- Weight at Release: 6.1 kg
Meet Luisa
Luisa also hatched on 25 February 2025, at the Richard Faust Breeding Centre in Haringsee, Austria—one of the most important Bearded Vulture breeding facilities within the Bearded Vulture EEP network. Both of her parents hatched there in 2015. They have produced six offspring in total, including Obwaldera (released in Switzerland in 2023) and Piuma (released in Corsica in 2024).
In 2024, Luisa’s parents also raised Vinzenz, a Bearded Vulture that was released in Berchtesgaden National Park last year. In 2025, the female BG 835 laid two eggs—the first on 4 January (from which Luisa hatched) and the second on 11 January (which unfortunately failed to develop). The parents incubated diligently, and on 9 March, they adopted another chick from the centre.
Luisa was named by a long-time LBV supporter family from the Starnberg district in Bavaria.
- Code: BG 1263
- Origin: Richard Faust Centre, Haringsee, Austria
- Hatch Date: 25 February 2025
- Birth Weight: 176 g
- Parents: BG857 × BG835
- Foster Parents: BG681 × BG560
- Siblings: 6 total; 2 released (Obwaldera & Piuma)
- Ring Colour: Orange/Green (R/L)
- Release Date: 27 May 2025
- Age at Release: 92 days
- Weight at Release: 5.2 kg
The release event
During a public event attended by nature lovers from across the Alpine region, Generl and Luisa were introduced to the audience. After the ceremony, both birds were carefully carried to a high-altitude release niche at 1,300 metres, where they were placed in nests made of spruce branches and wool.
Equipped with GPS transmitters, they will now strengthen their flight muscles over the next few weeks, under remote surveillance, before making their first independent flights—likely in 3 to 4 weeks. Their nest is monitored 24/7 via infrared cameras and a live webcam, offering valuable insights for scientists and a rare glimpse into the rewilding process for the public.
Everyone can follow Luisa and Generl through the following platforms:
- Live webcam: www.lbv.de/bartgeier-webcam
- GPS map: www.lbv.de/bartgeier-auf-reisen
Bearded Vulture reintroduction in the Alps
The species was driven to extinction in the Alps during the 20th Century, and to bring them 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. 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 time! Now, with the releases of Bearded Vultures in the Bavarian Alps, Germany has become the fifth country to join this successful reintroduction project.
