The Zoobotánico Biodiversity Conservation Center in Jerez has sent its second bearded vulture chick, born last March, to France. Raised at the center, this specimen is part of an international program to recover this threatened raptor. The transfer aims to strengthen the population in the French region, joining efforts to prevent its extinction.
Controlled breeding and GPS tracking for reintroduction 🦅
The captive breeding process of the bearded vulture requires specific conditions of temperature, diet, and absence of human contact to avoid imprinting. Before the transfer, technicians equip the chick with a GPS transmitter that allows monitoring its movements and adaptation to the new environment. This tracking system, combined with prior genetic analyses, ensures that the selected specimen has the necessary diversity to integrate into the French population without causing inbreeding issues.
The chick's longest journey before learning to fly ✈️
While other chicks its age are barely squabbling over the best branch in the nest, this specimen from Jerez already has a European passport and a paid plane ticket. Of course, don't expect it to enjoy the in-flight catering: its menu still consists of crushed bones, not the complimentary cookies. At least in France, it won't have to deal with the Andalusian accent of the caretakers, although the local pigeons have already prepared a welcome committee for it.