After being rescued at the end of November in the Punta Entinas-Sabinar Natural Area in Almería, suffering from dehydration and difficulty flying, young female Bearded Vulture Veleta has fully recovered and was released again to the wild in the Sierra Nevada Protected Natural Area by Junta de Andalucía.
Veleta was originally released in Sierra Nevada in June 2024. Her struggles, inability to fly and dehydration, are common among young birds and they are attributable to their inexperience. They are still learning to navigate their environment and therefore struggle to find food and shelter.
After a few weeks of recovery and good care at Endangered Species Recovery Center (CREA) in Granada, CREA’s specialized technicians confirmed that Veleta was fit and ready for flight. Her new release into the wild was planned for mid-December 2024.
Veleta has been successfully released as planned, and she has now been able to reunite with Dilar and Sulayr – two other Bearded Vultures released in Sierra Nevada last summer.
The return of the Bearded Vulture
The Bearded Vulture (Gypeatus Barbatus) disappeared from Andalusia in the 1980s due to a combination of human persecution, the use of poisons, and a reduction in food sources, leading to its near-extinction in the area.
Since 2006, VCF together with Junta de Andalucía has worked tirelessly to reverse this decline through captive breeding programs, feasibility studies, and controlled releases. To date, 90 Bearded Vultures have been successfully released in various natural parks across Andalusia, including the Natural Parks of the Sierras of Cazorla, Segura, and Las Villas, as well as in the Sierra de Castril.
A Symbol of ecological health
The Bearded Vulture’s presence in Sierra Nevada holds significant symbolic and ecological value. As a key indicator of the overall health of this Protected Natural Area, the vulture’s return demonstrates the restoration of a balanced and functioning ecosystem. The Bearded Vulture plays a critical role in maintaining ecological equilibrium by cleaning up carcasses and preventing the spread of disease.
Veleta is soaring again
The re-release of Veleta into Sierra Nevada is a hopeful reminder of what can be achieved when conservation efforts are sustained over time. With each successful release, we take one more step toward ensuring that Bearded Vultures once again thrive in their natural habitats, contributing to a rich and diverse ecosystem for generations to come.
