Snowfall prevents three young bearded vultures from being released into the wild
Published: Sunday, Jun 2nd 2024, 17:40
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The three young bearded vultures that were due to be released into the wild on Sunday in the Meldsee-Frutt OW region will have to wait a little longer. The Pro Bartgeier Foundation has canceled the release event due to snow and considerable avalanche risk.
According to the foundation, the three young birds will be transferred to the reintroduction niche in the Huetstock federal wildlife sanctuary above Melchsee-Frutt at the next possible safe time slot. However, Pro Bartgeier now has to forego the planned public event for the reintroduction.
The three bearded vultures are called Gaia, Paradiso and Aurora and, like all bearded vultures released into the wild in Obwalden to date, come from breeding lines that are still poorly represented in the wild population. The young animals should help to increase the genetic diversity of the wild population, the foundation writes on its website.
The reintroduction of bearded vultures is financed by donations and patron contributions. Naming sponsorships play an important role in this. The canton of Obwalden took over the naming sponsorship for the bearded vulture Gaia. Paradiso found a private name sponsor.
A naming competition was held for the third animal, a young female. Over 160 people contributed a donation and a name suggestion, writes the foundation. In less than two days, 1230 people took part in the vote and marked their favorite names. Aurora was the most popular choice.
15 bearded vultures released into the wild in Obwalden so far
The bearded vulture, which feeds mainly on the bones of dead hoofed animals, was long unjustly disreputable as a lamb thief. By 1913 it was extinct throughout the Alps.
The reintroduction of the bird, whose head is adorned with a dark, bristly beard, began in Switzerland around 30 years ago with the first reintroduction in Graubünden. Animals have been released into the wild in Obwalden since 2015 - a total of 15 bearded vultures. Of these, 13 made the leap to independence.
Eleven of them have survived so far. The first have already successfully raised offspring - but not yet in Central Switzerland. The Pro Bartgeier Foundation hopes that the first breeding pairs will soon settle there too.
©Keystone/SDA
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