Did you know that the bearded vulture is depicted on the official emblem (attached photo) for protected sites and territories in Bulgaria?

This symbol was proposed by Nikolay Boev (1922–1985) – a Bulgarian zoologist, ornithologist, and conservationist. He witnessed the decline and eventual disappearance of the species in Bulgaria after the mid-20th century, and was the first to write about and dream of the bearded vulture’s restoration through the import and release of birds back into the wild.

As a tribute to his work, which has inspired generations of conservationists in Bulgaria, one of the first bearded vultures to be released on May 17, 2025, in the “Blue Rocks” Nature Park will likely be named after him.