Cyprus released griffon vultures into the wild on Wednesday in the latest attempt to boost a once thriving population now critically endangered by poisoning. The island's largest bird of prey has seen its population fall dramatically to the smallest in Europe in recent decades, either from accidental poisoning or changing farming techniques leaving them short of food. A griffon vulture is seen in an acclimatisation aviary near the village of Korfi, Cyprus September 28, 2022. REUTERS/Yiannis Kourtoglou Earlier this year, the population suffered a massive loss from poisoning, reducing numbers to just 8, conservationists say. They will be joined by eight vultures from Spain, home to Europe's largest population of griffon vultures, which were released on Wednesday in the mountains...
Read MoreTag: birds of prey
A blindfold calms the large black and white augur buzzard as two men glue a prosthetic leg into an insert on her body to replace the one that she lost. The female is one of many injured birds of prey that turn up at Simon Thomsett’s Kenyan rehabilitation centre, most of which, like her, have been crippled by electrocution. The problem has progressively grown as Kenya has upgraded its electricity network, replacing wooden poles with steel-reinforced concrete, which can be conductive, and hanging inadequately insulated power lines between them, conservationists say. A little sparrowhawk is seen at the Soysambu Raptor Centre inside Soysambu conservancy in Nakuru, Kenya April 12, 2022. Picture taken April 12, 2022. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi That and the lack of deterrent markers alon...
Read MorePoisoning caused by preying on or scavenging animals shot by hunters using lead ammunition has left the populations of many raptors – or birds of prey – far smaller than they should be, according to the first study to calculate these impacts across Europe. When birds like eagles and Red Kites scavenge carcasses or eat injured animals with fragments of toxic lead from gun ammunition embedded in their bodies they can become poisoned, suffering slow and painful deaths. Smaller doses have been shown to alter behaviour and physiology. Now, scientists from the University of Cambridge have used data on lead levels in the livers of over 3,000 raptors found dead in more than a dozen countries to calculate the extent to which poisoning by lead ammunition has affected Europe’s ...
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