The storms in Berchtesgadener Land left some serious damage – also in the national park there. The good news: The two bearded vultures Wally and Bavaria survived everything well. Bird experts had worried about the two famous park residents – but now they were spotted cheerfully in a rock niche.
Trial by fire for the young birds
“It was a trial by fire” for the female Bearded Vulture, but they have the right behavior in such extreme weather in their genes, “said a national park spokeswoman on request to the BR. During the storm, Wally and Bavaria must have holed up somewhere. Where exactly, nobody knows.
On Tuesday, both bearded vultures were spotted cheerfully together in their release niche in the rock. The two large birds have also made considerable progress when it comes to flying: They can step up from a standing position, fly turns and land safely again.
International reintroduction project for bearded vultures
The reintroduction project in the Berchtesgaden National Park is intended to ensure that there will be more bearded vultures in the Eastern Alps in the future. To this end, the LBV, in cooperation with the National Park and the Nuremberg Zoo, wants to release two to three young birds in the Klausbachtal in the coming years as part of the European Endangered Species Program (EEP).
Around 40 specialized zoos and breeding stations participate in the European conservation breeding program for bearded vultures. It is an international resettlement project. Today the bearded vulture population in the entire Alpine region is estimated to be around 300 animals.
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