In very sad news for wildlife protectors, a Griffon Vulture has died from electrocution less than a day after it was set free. The bird was part of an important European Union program to save this species on Cyprus. It died after landing on an unsafe electricity pole. This shows that human-made dangers continue to threaten these rare birds.
The vulture was in the "LIFE with Vultures" project. Groups like BirdLife Cyprus work on this project. They bring vultures from Spain to increase the very small number left on the island. This specific bird was first released in mid-2024 but got into trouble last October. People rescued it and it received six weeks of veterinary care. After tests showed it was healthy, it was released again last Thursday.
The bird had a GPS tracker. It flew about forty kilometers, trying to find its group in the mountains. Sadly, the next day, the tracker showed it had stopped moving. The team found the bird dead. An investigation proved it was electrocuted by wires on a high-voltage power pole. This kind of infrastructure is very dangerous for large birds when they fly or land.
The rescue team was very sad. They said, "This reminds us how hard life is for these birds here." They also said, "We warned that electrocution and poisoning are the biggest threats. Humans are responsible for both." These dangers can destroy years of conservation work.
This death shows how difficult it is to protect wildlife. Experts say that for vultures to survive in Cyprus, people must make power lines safe and stop the use of poison. Despite this loss, conservationists still hope that one day the vulture population will grow and live safely across the island.