Young, fearless adventurers like Dryan are making sure vulture conservation is anything but boring. This three-year-old Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus) set off on an epic European tour, covering over 10,000 kilometers and soaring through 14 countries in just a few months. While his journey captivated the monitoring team, it took a more serious turn in Romania — where fascination quickly turned into action as a rescue mission became necessary.
The life of Dryan
Dryan is a young cinereous vulture who arrived in Bulgaria from Spain and was released on April 19 near Kotel, Bulgaria as part of the reintroduction programme. After his release, he wasted no time exploring his surroundings. In just a few months, he visited Bulgaria, Romania (six visits — clearly a fan!), Moldova, Serbia, North Macedonia, Greece, Turkey, Ukraine, Hungary, Croatia, Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Trouble in the Delta
On June 30, Dryan flew into Romania’s beautiful Danube Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its wetlands, wildlife, and — as it turns out — incredibly tricky reedbeds. On July 1, a misjudged landing sent our globetrotter straight into a dense patch of reeds. Unfortunately, this natural fortress turned into a green prison from which Dryan couldn’t escape on his own.
The Delta’s reedbeds are nearly impenetrable, and their terrain isn’t exactly friendly to large scavenging birds — or rescuers, for that matter. And to make things trickier, the habitat type wasn’t immediately visible on the tracking map, so a search mission only was possible to begin two days later.
The rescue mission
The mission to save Dryan kicked off on July 3, when a team from ARBDD and INCDD, joined by local photographers and fishermen, attempted to locate him, but the dense reedbeds of the Danube Delta proved too thick—even for drones.
On July 4, four firefighters from ISU Crișan and a local from Mila 23, organized by Iliuță Goean, approached the site from two directions, but again, Dryan remained hidden. Finally, on July 5, a determined group of veterinarians from Tulcea and two more searchers from Mila 23 launched a parallel search, and after three days in the reeds, Dryan was found—dehydrated but alive—and rushed to a veterinary clinic for care.
It takes a flock
Dryan is now safe and receiving expert veterinary care — and we’re all hoping he’ll be back to his sky-high adventures soon (perhaps with a little more caution around wetlands). The successful rescue was only possible because of the swift mobilisation and coordination of many individuals and institutions, each playing a vital role. In landscapes like the Danube Delta, success depends not on a single action but on the cooperation of many.
We extend our deepest thanks to everyone who played a role in Dryan’s successful rescue. Special appreciation goes to Dr. Maximilan Alexandru, Asociația Anim All Delta, Laurențiu Popa, Marcel Iacovici, Iliuță Goean and his dedicated team, and the brave firefighters of ISU Crișan. We are also grateful to the leadership and staff of ARBDD, Cornel Cotorogea, Mihai Marinov from INCDD, Mihai Baciu, Petrencu Laurențiu, Daniel Petrescu and Milvus Group.
The Bearded Vulture LIFE Project
The “Bearded Vulture LIFE” project is a comprehensive initiative, aiming to restore the Bearded Vulture and Cinereous Vulture across Bulgaria and the Balkans. With a budget of €5.17 million, co-funded by the European Union’s LIFE Programme, the project commenced in August 2023 and is expected to continue until 2030. Building upon the achievements of its predecessor, “Vultures Back to Life,” it is coordinated by Green Balkans, with five more partner organizations within Bulgaria, including the Fund for Wild Flora and Fauna, Foundation EkoObshtnost, EVN – Elektropradelenie Yug EAD, Severozapadno Darzhavno Predpriyatie – Vratsa, and “Sinite kamani” Nature Park Directorate. Furthermore, the project benefits from international collaboration, including the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF), responsible for the translocation and safeguarding of captive-bred birds secured for release. Additionally, the partner Milvus group is responsible for executing conservation efforts in Romania.
