May 24, 2023 - On the International Day of Biological Diversity and Nature Protection Day, Biom Association launched a donation campaign, "Let my flight not be the last," aiming to save young Eurasian griffon vultures in Croatia.
Griffon vultures are the last remaining scavenger species in Croatia, whose population numbers only about 120 pairs, the press release states, reported by 24Sata.
Once hatched, griffon vulture chicks stay in the nest for four months while both parents care for them. However, the association warns that 30 birds fall into the sea every year due to human behaviour.
"Due to the various human activities that take place near the nests, such as the large number of tourist and other vessels that sail near the cliffs in the summer season, the birds can panic and fly away from the nest prematurely," they note in Biom.
By the end of the three-year campaign, the goal is to collect 40,000 euros, which will cover warning and informing boat owners and other people about behaviour near the cliffs, as well as searching the sea surface and bird rescue operations, in which trained and experienced volunteers will participate.
The vultures will then be transported to a recovery center and, after recovery, returned to nature. In this way, 12 griffon vultures can be saved a year, the association points out.
"The griffon vulture has an important place in cleaning and keeping the environment healthy because it feeds on the remains of dead animals - that's why it is essential to start preserving this endangered species as soon as they make their first flight so that it is not their last as well," said the campaign leader Paula Pocanić Vovk.
The first stage of the campaign started yesterday so that the collected funds could be used to activate the rescue team for the summer season of 2024.
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