“Life for the Bearded Vulture” (project №101113869 LIFE22-NAT-BG-Bearded Vulture LIFE) funded by the LIFE program with the coordinating organization “Green Balkans – Stara Zagora” Association.

https://vultureslife.greenbalkans.org/%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%82%D1%8A%D1%82

Thanks to this project, after more than 50 years of absence from Bulgarian nature, the bearded vulture has a chance to be restored in our country.On May 17, 2025, three young bearded vultures – one hatched at the Green Balkans Wildlife Rescue Center and two donated by the Ostrava Zoo in the Czech Republic – were transported to the Sinite Kamani Nature Park near Sliven and placed in artificial nests, where they will be fed, monitored and guarded until they adapt and leave the nest on their own. Zoos traditionally play a major role in the recovery and conservation of rare and endangered species. All three birds housed there were hatched in captivity, two of them in a zoo. The Sofia Zoo also contributed to the reproduction of the species. In the period 1916-1923, 8 bearded vulture chicks were hatched in the Royal Zoo in Sofia, which was a great achievement.

The priority of the project is the recovery of the bearded vulture and strengthening the black vulture population in Bulgaria. The bearded vultures for release in Bulgaria will be provided by the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF) from the Netherlands, which coordinates the (EEP) – the Bearded Vulture Exclusion Breeding Program.

Sofia Zoo’s contribution to the activities of this project is expressed in the repeated donation of herbivores, such as mouflons, fallow deer and wild boars to increase biodiversity in their natural habitats. Sofia Zoo will apply for inclusion in the EEP for bearded vultures, and the development plan of Sofia Zoo for the period 2025 – 2035 envisages the construction of a large aviary for breeding and breeding bearded vultures, the offspring of which will be released into the wild.