Spanish vultures are coming to support the Cypriot Fire (pic + vid) | Skai.gr

The population of vultures in Cyprus is decreasing since today it is around 20. Due to the breeding problem and through the program “Life with the Vultures” which aims to prevent the extinction of the Fire Vulture Gyps fulvus, the coming days are coming vultures from Spain, to support the population on our island.

Speaking to SigmaLive, the senior official of the Thera Service, Nikos Kasinis said that in the next three to four days the first 15 vultures from Spain will arrive in Cyprus while their total number will reach 25-30.

“The vultures will remain in cages for a few months to adapt to the new environment and will be released around Spring. In the specially designed cages there are vulture feeders in Paphos and Limassol while another will be repaired in Limassol. “GPS transmitters will be installed in the birds to monitor their movements and reproduction efforts,” he explained.

The serious problem of reducing the vulture population, according to Mr. Kasinis, is due to the poisonous baits that are placed in the countryside in order to kill foxes or even stray dogs. This sad situation results in the Cypriot vultures coming into contact with the baits and being killed.

“The vulture is a bird that reproduces very slowly. “This is the reason why it is necessary to strengthen it through the program, which is expected to put an end to the extinction of its species”, said Mr. Kasinis.

The program, in addition to strengthening vultures, also includes training dogs to detect venom in the fields.

However, in an announcement, BirdLife Cyprus states that the birds will be imported from Spain as the country hosts 90-95% of Europe’s vultures, with the population of the Fire Vulture numbering 30,000 pairs.

The partners of the program are BirdLife Cyprus, the Hunting and Fauna Service, Terra Cypria – the Cyprus Foundation for Environmental Protection and the international organization Vulture Conservation Foundation.

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