{"id":29283,"date":"2023-03-28T18:07:19","date_gmt":"2023-03-28T15:07:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/?p=29283"},"modified":"2025-05-05T15:46:52","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T12:46:52","slug":"meet-zimbro-the-first-cinereous-vulture-released-within-the-life-aegypius-return-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/es\/blog\/meet-zimbro-the-first-cinereous-vulture-released-within-the-life-aegypius-return-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet Zimbro: The first Cinereous Vulture released within the LIFE Aegypius Return project"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Zimbro,
Zimbro, the Cinereous Vulture released in Portugal on 21 March 2023 \u00a9 Manuel Nunes<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Can you imagine a better way to welcome spring than the release of a bird into the wild? Just a few days ago, on March 21st, we released Zimbro, a male Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus)<\/em>, into the wild of northeast Portugal. The release marked the end of a long and complex rehabilitation process in three different wildlife recovery centres, where he received veterinary treatment and physiotherapy to recover from his injuries. This bird was given a fitting name, as it was named after a juniper tree to celebrate the International Day of Forests. But that’s not all – the name also draws attention to the bird’s unusual choice of nesting sites in the Douro International Natural Park. It’s a rare sight only observed in one other place in Spain, at the Natural Park of Las Batuecas. Before the release, the LIFE Aegypius Return project<\/a> team fitted Zimbro with a GPS transmitter, which will allow us to keep track of his movements and behaviour over the coming months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Zimbro,
Zimbro, the Cinereous Vulture released in Portugal on 21 March 2023 \u00a9 Manuel Nunes<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Zimbro’s long rehabilitation process<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back in September 2021, Zimbro was found in a very weak condition in Porto de M\u00f3s (Leiria, Portugal) and entered the Wildlife Rescue Centre in Lisbon (LXCras)<\/a>, where it stayed under the attentive care of the veterinary staff for over a year. The rehabilitation was complex and long-lasting, as the bird developed secondary lesions. After being submitted to veterinary treatment and physiotherapy, Zimbro fully recovered from its injuries by December 2022.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Zimbro
Zimbro at the Wildlife Rescue Centre LXCras \u00a9 LXCras<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The veterinary team decided that Zimbro needed a bigger flight tunnel to tonify and strengthen its muscles before being fit to fly again in the wild. So, in coordination with ICNF<\/a> (the Portuguese national agency for Nature Conservation and Forests), the bird was transferred to the Wildlife Recovery Centre in UTAD<\/a> (Tr\u00e1s-os-Montes e Alto Douro University).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his last weeks before release, Zimbro was transferred to CIARA<\/a> (Interpretation and Wildlife Rescue Centre), a kind of five-star wildlife rehab clinic that hosts the largest flight tunnel in Portugal and mimics the local natural habitat. Located in the northeast, the stayover allowed Zimbro to acclimatise to the area and climate conditions while socialising with other vultures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Cinereous Vulture released in the Douro International Natural Park<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"LIFE<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With an astonishing view over the Douro valley, dozens of curious people attended the release of Zimbro. They were welcomed by the Vulture Conservation Foundation’s Portuguese team, together with our local partners from\u00a0Palombar<\/a>, who introduced the LIFE Aegypius Return Project and our collective efforts to double the breeding population of Cinereous Vultures in Portugal by 2027. Then CIARA, represented by the\u00a0Association of Municipalities from Baixo Sabor<\/a>\u00a0(AMBS), and veterinaries involved in Zimbro’s rehabilitation explained the recovery process and highlighted the important cooperation work between the three recovery centres and the national authorities. Among the participants, there were also project partners\u00a0ATN<\/a>\u00a0y\u00a0GNR (SEPNA)<\/a>; ICNF rangers from the Nature Park; representatives from different municipalities; students from Freixo de Espada \u00e0 Cinta school – who baptised Zimbro; and people from the local community.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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