The life of Griffon Vulture Enzo was short, but it touched many hearts. His story showed us how strong and loving the vulture conservation community can be. It stretches over multiple countries, but it truly connects us all through our love for these scavengers and our efforts to see them thrive.
An adventurous start in life
Enzo is a male Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) that probably hatched in Andalusia (Spain) in the summer of 2023. Like many young griffon vultures, when he left the nest, he began exploring further and further away from his colony. Griffon Vultures are the most social vulture species in Europe. They rely on the colony and its numbers to find food, roosting, and breeding sites. Roaming and exploring is a natural behaviour for a young Griffon Vulture, but sometimes a lone young vulture find itself in difficult situations.
On his own, Enzo struggled to find food and ended up starving near Estepona, Andalusia. He was promptly rescued by AMUS (Acción por el Mundo Salvaje) in Villafranca de los Barros in Extremadura. Once he recovered, he became part of an agreement among the Junta de Extremadura, AMUS, and VCF, and was translocated to Sardinia with 20 other young Spanish Griffon Vultures. They were donated to the LIFE Safe for Vultures restocking programme, which aims to bring Griffon Vultures back to South Sardinia.
The beginning of a bond that will last forever
Once in Sardinia, Enzo’s story intertwined with the life of Heinz and Evelyn Watska. They are an Austrian couple who fell in love with vultures and decided to be part of conservation efforts.
Heinz and Evalyn’s love for vultures started in 2017, when they visited the Grands Causses Regional Natural Park and the ” Maison de Vautours ” information and awareness centre. There, they witnessed vultures in flight, and their beauty and elegance sparked a love that continues to this day. When the couple moved to Sardinia, they visited Bosa, where a large colony of Griffon Vultures lives.
The Watska came across the LIFE Safe for Vultures project and decided to contribute to vulture conservation by financing the purchase of a GPS for a vulture about to be released. The young Spanish Griffon Vulture that received the tag was named Enzo after his supporter, Heinz Watska.
©Matteo Carrara – Forestas – LIFE Safe for Vultures
Conservation results might be fragile, but our community grows stronger
Enzo demonstrated to be a true globetrotter, resuming his explorations right after his release. He soon left the Gerrei area where he was released, and moved north, towards the Bosa colony. When the project team thought he would establish himself there, he moved again, towards central Sardinia in an area that saw its last vulture around the 1980s. Locals and photographers were extremely curious about this wild explorer. But not every story has a happy ending. Unfortunately, only five months after being released, Enzo was killed by a gunshot.
Enzo represented what we all wish conservation to be: a community where scientists, politicians, conservationists, and people work together. Enzo’s story shines a hopeful light on the results of effective communication and vulture conservation. It also reminds us of how much work still needs to be done. Poaching is only one of the threats vultures face every day around the world. Poisoning, electrocution, and collision with windfarms take the lives of hundreds of vultures every year. Heinz and Evelyn Watska are determined to continue supporting the project, and so are we. Every contribution matters.
LIFE Safe for Vultures
LIFE Safe for Vultures is co-financed by the EU’s LIFE Programme to restore the vulture guild in Sardinia. The University of Sassari leads the project in collaboration with Agenzia Regionale Forestas, Sardegna Corpo Forestale, E-Distribuzione and the Vulture Conservation Foundation. LIFE Safe for Vultures builds on the work of the successful LIFE Under Griffon Wings, with the ultimate objective for Griffon Vultures to regain their historic ranges and distribution areas from the central-eastern part of Sardinia to the south and promote the long-term survival of the species on the island. An additional feeding station will be established south of the island, and 40 additional Griffon Vultures will be translocated and released.
