Cyprus-Forum.com

[SSBubbles]

I had the pleasure of spotting a vulture a few years ago whilst out walking (cannot remember exact location) Brilliant creature; let's hope the plan is successful

Griffon vultures and ravens almost extinct
By Patrick Dewhurst Published on December 15, Cyprus Mail

THE POPULATIONS of Griffon vultures and ravens in Cyprus are almost extinct, with so few remaining that a single poisoning incident could obliterate both populations, it emerged yesterday.

The birds’ bleak situation is the result of a shortage of food, disturbance to nesting sites and poisoning, after eating contaminated aimed at killing stray dogs, cats and vermin.

BirdLife Cyprus spokesman and conservationist Martin Hellicar estimates there could be as few as a dozen vultures left on the island, and just two to three pairs of ravens - which also eat carrion.

Hellicar said yesterday: “Five years ago there were around 40-50, and if you go back to the turn of the century they were very widespread. At the moment everyone agrees that it is an urgent situation. The Griffon vulture will certainly become extinct unless something drastic happens.”

There is hope yet for the population however. BirdLife Cyprus, together with the government’s Game Fund, has applied for Interreg funding for a collaborative project with the Greek government to import birds to the island. Interreg is an EU-funded initiative aimed at promoting interregional cooperation within the bloc.

“The issue is one of funding and not political, and we are looking for a partnership with Crete where there is still a large population of Griffon vultures,” said Hellicar.

The plan is to import more birds to Cyprus to reinforce the local population. They would be temporarily housed in very large cages before being released into the wild.

At the same time the Game Fund will build large “vulture restaurants” close to the holding pens, where both the imported and indigenous population will be able to find safe food. In parallel, an awareness campaign on the project will be carried out.

Access to a ready supply of safe food is vital for the success of such a scheme because of the way they find food. “The vultures find their food by sight, and they are very efficient at following others. One poisoned carcass could poison the whole population,” Hellicar said.

BirdLife and the Game Fund’s proposal, which is due for approval in the coming weeks, is expected to cost several thousand euros, taking into account the necessary infrastructure and employment of a full time member of staff to oversee the housing and feeding.

However, if the population can be increased to more than fifty, the birds could start to reproduce and rebuild the population.

[repulsewarrior]

...do we still care; i care.

Cyprus Vulture faces extinction
incyprus incyprus — 09/09/2015
Griffon Vulture in flight Dave & Jan Walker (1)
The largest bird in Cyprus, the Griffon Vulture, is in danger of dying out due to the continuous use of a dangerous veterinary drug still being widely available across Europe.

There are now only 22 vultures left on the island.

According to BirdLife International, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Vulture Conservation Foundation and the Wildlife Conservation, the European Union is failing to protect bird species by allowing the deadly drug Diclofenac to be available on the market.

Diclofenac is a veterinary drug that is very harmful to birds especially vultures.

Diclofenac is an anti-inflammatory used in animals such as cattle and pigs, but it is highly toxic to vultures and kills them hours after they have eaten a contaminated carcass. A safe alternative to

diclofenac exists and is widely available, which would limit any adverse effects of a ban

The Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) is the largest bird found in Cyprus. By feeding exclusively on

carcasses vultures help keep the environment clean and reduce the spread of disease. The Griffon Vulture population in Cyprus declined dramatically down to 12 birds in 2010, as a result of the use of poison, poaching and lack of food. This small population was enriched with 22 individuals from Crete.

However animal welfare groups including BirdLife Cyprus urge that more needs to be done including the total ban on the poisonous drug.

A ban in some Asian countries, including India and Pakistan, has helped to arrest the catastrophic effects on vulture populations there.

However in EU member countries decided, following a meeting this summer, that, the drug can instead be ‘controlled’ through vague action plans.

Veterinary diclofenac is still legally available in countries such as Spain, which is home to 95% of Europe’s vulture population. That’s despite the European Medicines Agency earlier this year identifying the serious risk the drug poses to vultures.

The organisations believe that it is a shared responsibility to protect vultures and to ban the harmful use of this drug in livestock

http://in-cyprus.com/cyprus-vulture-faces-extinction/

[repulsewarrior]

...an update,

https://www.4vultures.org/2017/03/29/gr ... two-years/

[repulsewarrior]

...good news, three nests were found this year.

http://cyprus-mail.com/2017/06/21/vultu ... cies-rise/

[repulsewarrior]

...bad news one found dead; shot perhaps poisoned as well.

http://cyprus-mail.com/2017/12/05/rare-griffon-vulture-found-dead-shot/?utm_source=projectagora&utm_medium=contentdiscovery

Although it was shot at, authorities on Tuesday were carrying out tests to determine the exact cause of death of one of the few Griffon vultures on the island whose carcass was found at Zapalo beach in Episkopi, Limassol.

Where there used to be at least 100 vultures in the 1960s, a population census in 2011 estimated there were only six to eight birds living in the wild in the south-west, according to www.gypas.org, the GYPAS project’s website.

[repulsewarrior]

...more news on the Griffon vulture,

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-1 ... 573433.htm

...good news.

[repulsewarrior]

...and more good news,

https://birdlifecyprus.org/news-details ... cyprus-sky

...with video.

[repulsewarrior]

...from Spain,

https://www.manisteenews.com/news/artic ... 472874.php

''Another 15 vultures flown in from Spain — which hosts 90-95% of Europe’s population of the birds — will be released in Cyprus next year.''

[Londonrake]

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... -in-cyprus

.

[Get Real!]

More European protests ignored by the West's corrupt media ...

Thousands rally in Rome amid inflation and rising cost of living...
https://rumble-foxo.cdn.rumble.cloud/vi ... 7f.caa.mp4

German farmers protest over energy prices and supply...
https://rumble-foxo.cdn.rumble.cloud/vi ... 7f.caa.mp4

Dozens rally in Bologna against skyrocketing cost of living...
https://rumble-foxo.cdn.rumble.cloud/vi ... 7f.caa.mp4


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