Born in the wild, at Bargy, French Alps, in 2017, this bird has had quite a lot of trouble in his young life so far.
On 26/07/2018, the field team of the Asters Conservatory of Natural Areas of Haute-Savoie, responsible for the survey of bearded vulture breeding pairs in the area, was hoping to check if the chick had already fledged. They found the bird had left the nest, but was not able to fly.
For a whole month, the survey team observed as the young bird stayed on the ground, not being able to fly, but still the adults continued to feed him and otherwise he was healthy.
With no progress, the Asters team decided to intervene. The bird was captured and taken to the Tichodrome Recovery Centre, the largest wild animal care facility in Rhône-Alpes region.
At the centre it was determined that the young male has a feather abnormality, which is affecting its ability to fly. It is still not sure if this problem will disappear as the feathers moult to adult plumage, so he has to be kept in captivity for now.
GypHelp BG 973 needs company
In the meantime, he has been taken care of at the Asters Specialized Breeding Centre, in Haute-Savoie, but he is by himself, so we would like to give GypHelp BG 973 an opportunity to socialize with other birds and would like to move him to one of our specialized breeding centres, the Guadalentín Breeding Centre, at Cazorla (Spain). Together with Rin Ran, a young wild female who recently underwent eye surgery, they can keep each other company during their recovery. Don’t we all feel better in good company?
Will you help us move him from France to Spain? We have set ourselves the target of raising €7,500 to move this and 18 other bearded vultures across our captive-breeding network of zoos and breeding centres, to find new homes and new mates.
You can support us with 1 euro or more, and we have some rewards for you! Photo cards, t-shirts, one-on-one talk with our bearded vulture team and even give GypHelp BG973 a proper name!
About the transfer
When: end September
From: Asters specialized captive breeding centre, Sallanches, France
To: Guadalentín specialized captive breeding centre, Cazorla, Spain
How: by car to Vallcalent (Spain) + by carrier transport to Guadalentín
