Fifteen vultures from Spain arrived in Cyprus on Friday, ornithological charity BirdLife Cyprus said.
The measure is part of ongoing efforts to save Cyprus’ critically endangered griffon vulture population, with only 37 birds remaining.
Upon arrival, the griffon vultures were received by the game service and transferred to a special acclimatisation cage in Limassol thereafter.
There, they will have time to adjust for at least six months. Later, the birds will be equipped with satellite transmitters to monitor their movements.
The selected birds, hatched in Spain, were donated to Cyprus by the government of the autonomous community of Andalusia.
After being hatched, the birds were treated in wildlife hospitals in Andalusia and stayed at a zoo in Seville.
Once strong enough, they were selected for the Cyprus programme and ready for their new island life. The selection process was supervised by the Vulture conservation foundation, which contributed expertise and coordinating the transfer process from Spain.
The introduction of vultures from abroad began in 2012, when there were only eight to ten of the species remaining on the island.
Another batch of Spanish vultures was released in September 2022, followed by two more groups in 2023. Cyprus’ 37 remaining griffon vultures constitute the smallest such population in Europe.
Conservation efforts are vital for the survival of Cyprus’ birds, as new birds are key to reaching the target of 200. That figure is considered the minimum viable population for Cyprus.
In addition to the continued strengthening of the vulture population, poisoning incidents and other threats need to be eliminated, the organisations say.
The project is part of a collaboration between BirdLife, the game service and the Vulture conservation foundation.
Spain is home to 90-95 per cent of Europe’s vultures, with a population of around 30,000 pairs.
