At the end of February, the partners of the LIFE RE-Vultures met in Haskovo (Bulgaria) for the annual project meeting, to discuss the work that has been accomplished so far and to further plan the implementation of the project activities.
This year the LIFE RE-Vultures team was also joined by the staff from LIFE RE-Bison, a project for the recovery of European Bison populations in Romania. Presentations on both projects allowed all of the organizations involved to look at a bigger regional picture for the recovery of wildlife and natural areas.
The LIFE project “Conservation of Black and Griffon vultures in the cross-border Rhodope Mountains” is led by Rewilding Europe in partnership with Rewilding Rhodopes Foundation, Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds, WWF Greece, the VCF and the Hellenic Ornithological Society.
The project aims to recover and further expand the black and griffon vulture populations in this part of the Balkans, mainly by improving natural prey availability and reducing mortality factors such as poaching, poisoning and electrocution and collision with power lines.
During the meeting, the partners had opportunity to catch up on the latest news from the project, including the crucial work being conducted by the anti-poison dog unit, the release of 88 fallow and 25 red deer, the construction of 3 artificial nests for Black vultures, as well as the latest GIS data on the use of habitat by griffon vultures.
At the end of April, within the framework of the LIFE RE-Vultures, the VCF will be organizing a meeting on supplementary feeding, which will add know-how and information to these activities being implemented in the Rhodopes both in Bulgaria and in Greece.
Photo: VCF/Rewilding Europe
