On September 25, 2023, in Sofia, we officially launched “BEARDED VULTURE LIFE”, whose goal is to bring back the Bearded Vulture, which has disappeared from nature. The initiative is of Coordinator “Green Balkans – Stara Zagora” NGO and partners – Fund for Wild Flora and Fauna, Foundation EkoObshtnost, EVN – Elektropradelenie Yug EAD, Severozapadno Darzhavno Predpriyatie – Vratsa, “Sinite kamani” Nature Park Directorate from Bulgaria, Vulture Conservation Foundation from the Netherlands and the Milvus Group Association from Romania. The project is co-financed by the LIFE program of the EU.

The event was honored by the official guests: Mr. Miguel Heine – Counsellor of the Spanish Embassy in Bulgaria, Nikolay Sidzhimov – Deputy Minister, Ministry of Environment and Water, as our partner from the Vulture Conservation Foundation – Jose Tavares, who expressed their congratulations on the successful start of the project, as well as support for future activities.

“BEARDED VULTURE LIFE” (project #101113869 LIFE22-NAT-BG-Bearded Vulture LIFE) unites the efforts of 8 partners from 3 European countries. The international team of experts has contributed to the return of vultures to several European countries. In Bulgaria, the activities are part of an Action Plan for the recovery of vultures in the Balkan Peninsula and a long-term conservation program implemented for more than 20 years.

Over 70 guests graced the event launching the project’s activities. Some of them asked questions to the partners, and others congratulated them, among them were representatives of the Yugoiztochno Darzhavno Predpriyatie – Sliven; “Central Balkan” National Park Directorate; NHM-BAS, Sofia; IBER-BAN; Sofia Zoo and many other colleagues. Prof. Zlatozar Boev shared a curious story told by his father – Nikolay Boev, about how he created the symbol of nature protection in Bulgaria – a profile of a Bearded Vulture in a house. Nikolay Boev himself, as a member of the Union for the Protection of Native Nature, drew the profile image of a Bearded Vulture, which was placed on the signs for reserves and ancient trees and became a symbol of nature protection in Bulgaria.

In addition to the activities for the return of the Bearded Vulture to the Balkans, another main part is the activities to support the Cinereous Vulture population, which we recently returned to the nature of Bulgaria. It is planned to release 70 Cinereous Vultures in different parts of the country, to strengthen the established population in Bulgaria.