Czech-born Young Vulture to be Released in Bulgaria

Ostrava, North Moravia, July 24 (CTK) - A young cinereous vulture that hatched in the Ostrava zoo in April has been transferred to Bulgaria this week to be released in the eastern part of the Stara Planina mountain range, zoo spokeswoman Sarka Novakova has told CTK.

The bird will be released in the wild together with other two young cinereous vultures coming from Latvia's Riga Zoo.

"This is already the sixth young the Ostrava zoo has raised, and the second one to be released in the wild," Novakova said, adding that the first one was released in the Verdon Gorge in France in 2009.

The remaining young vultures from Ostrava were previously sent to reinforce the European breeding base, she said.

Four vulture species live in Europe at present. Apart from the cinereous vulture, they are the griffon, Egyptian and bearded vulture. Their populations are far from large, consisting of several hundred to several thousand pairs.

Protection and repatriation projects have gradually contributed to their growth. The Ostrava zoo, which breeds all four vulture species, offers the birds it raised for release in the wild.

In Bulgaria, the Ostrava young's destination, the cinereous vulture was killed out by people in the past.

The young, which cannot fly yet, will be placed in the locality of the release on Wednesday to acquaint itself with it as its new home. The birds will be fed but without any further contact with people, Novakova said, referring to the three vulture newcomers to Bulgaria.