In a devastating blow to conservation efforts, a Griffon Vulture reintroduced to the wild as part of a critical European Union-backed recovery program has been killed by electrocution less than a day after its release. The bird, which had undergone extensive rehabilitation following a prior health crisis, perished after landing on an uninsulated utility pole, highlighting the persistent human-made dangers threatening the species' precarious existence on Cyprus.
The vulture was a participant in the ambitious "LIFE with Vultures" initiative, a collaborative project involving BirdLife Cyprus, the Cyprus Wildlife Research Institute, and the Wildlife Rescue and Care Center in Vounos. This program aims to resuscitate the island's critically diminished population of Griffon Vultures, a keystone species for ecosystem health, through restocking with birds from Spain. After an initial release in mid-2024, this individual encountered difficulties last October, prompting its rescue near Famagusta. Following six weeks of intensive veterinary treatment and a clean bill of health from comprehensive toxicological screenings, conservationists granted it a second opportunity for freedom this past Thursday.
Equipped with a GPS tracker, the vulture’s movements were closely monitored. It embarked on a journey of roughly forty kilometers, an attempt to reunite with its flock in the mountainous strongholds of Pafos and Limassol where the remnant population clings to survival. Tragically, the journey was abruptly cut short. The following day, the transmitter indicated prolonged immobility, leading to the discovery of the bird’s carcass. An investigation confirmed the cause: electrocution from contacting two live wires on an 11,000-volt power pole. The incident starkly illustrates a lethal architectural flaw; the design and placement of such infrastructure align perilously with the flight paths and perching behavior of large raptors, making them uniquely vulnerable.
The team that nursed the vulture back to health expressed profound sorrow. "This heartbreaking incident reminds us how precarious life is for these birds on our island," they stated. In a pointed critique of preventable threats, they added, "We warned at release about the two biggest threats: poisoning and electrocution. Yet, humans remain directly responsible for both." These twin perils continue to undermine multi-year, costly conservation work, turning successful rehabilitation into a pyrrhic victory.
This fatality casts a stark light on the formidable challenges facing biodiversity restoration. While the coordinated rescue demonstrated effective conservation action, the ultimate outcome underscores an urgent need for systemic environmental change. Experts assert that the long-term viability of the Griffon Vulture in Cyprus is inextricably linked to mitigating these anthropogenic hazards. Strategic insulation of dangerous power lines and a decisive crackdown on the use of poisonous baits are cited as non-negotiable measures. Despite this setback, conservationists maintain a guarded optimism, hoping that a secured and growing population may one day recolonize its historical ranges, including the Kyrenia mountains. However, each such loss is a poignant reminder that returning a species to the wild requires not just healing the individual, but fundamentally safeguarding the landscape it is meant to inhabit.