Returning to the wild: A celebration

In a poignant observance of World Animal Day, the volunteers at the Alkioni, the Aegean Wildlife Hospital on the island of Paros, are once again celebrating the return of the common buzzard to its natural habitat. Since its establishment in 1995, Alkioni has cared for over 17,000 wild animals, primarily birds, who have found their way to the sanctuary in various states of distress. Many of these birds arrive sick, exhausted from migration, or injured, often with shotgun pellets lodged in their bodies or suffering from electrocution after colliding with power lines.