Following the release of the first young bearded vultures in Corsica (see here) and in Cazorla (see here), the next two birds – both females and hatched at the Guadalentin specialized captive breeding center in Andalusia, will be released tomorrow at the Grands Causses, one of the bearded vulture reintroduction projects, managed by our local partners LPO Grands Causses.
The birds will be presented to the public in a ceremony at 10:30 am at the Camping La Cascade, Salvinsac (Meyrueis) (see invitation), and will then be taken to the platform high up in the mountains, where they will stay until they fledge naturally.
Releases in the Grands Causses (which is mid-way between the Alps and the Pyrenees, and therefore will serve as the perfect corridor population for a pan European future gene flow) started in 2010 and so far 18 birds have been released. The current release is the first within the framework of the LIFE GYPCONNECT project, an EU funded project that aims to enhance the establishment of the gene flow between the bearded vultures is the Alps and the Pyrenees. The LIFE GYPCONNECT is also co-funded by the MAVA foundation.
Bearded vultures take 9 or 10 years to start breeding, so we will have to wait a few more years for the next milestone in the project – the first nest in the wild in the Grands Causses. In the meantime, the VCF, the LPO Grands Causses and other partners will continue to work together to re-establish this crucial population in the Massif Central, within the LIFE GYPCONNECT project.
Release of bearded vultures GYPCONNECT Grands Causses LIFE Gypconnect-LPO GC-Invitation lâché Adobe Acrobat Document 643.7 KB Download
