Andean Condor

Conservationists are facing a setback after an endangered white scavenger vulture named Ionas disappeared during his first migratory journey.

Currently, 245 white-headed vultures inhabit the region along the Arda River valley, as 60 birds live in the Greek part of the Rhodope Mountains.  

This is the largest number of vultures found to stay overnight in the Eastern Rhodopes since 2005.

Attempts have been made in Bulgaria for several years to restore the bird population. The killed vulture, named "Ultron", was donated to Bulgaria by a Belgian zoo. After adaptation, the bird was released near Kotel. 

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.

A EUR 3 M project financed by the EU plans to restore the population of black vulture in Bulgaria.

The project entitled "Bright Future for Black Vulture in Bulgaria" will be implemented by NGOs from four countries, private bTV station informs.

Two Egyptian vultures, Boris and Jennie, can now be monitored live after being equipped with satellite trackers, the Bulgarian Society for Protection of Birds (BSPB) has said.

Boris and Jennie, two adult vultures, are representatives of an animal species whose extinction rate is among the highest in Europe.

A German Zoo has sent three griffon vultures to Bulgaria, in a push to reintroduce the birds to reintroduce them into one of their natural habitats.