The unpleasant situation has recently reflected in our activities to save endangered species! Because restrictions are for everyone!
Unfortunately, the team of the Green Balkans Rescue Centre, as well as the teams of the 39 other centres and zoos included in the Bearded Vulture EEP coordinated by our VCF colleagues, had to urgently reorganize work on the hatchlings of the Bearded Vultures this year!
The "problem" came when the second little one hatched at the Centre. A generally happy event, but at the wrong time! If the circumstances were normal, within 7 to 10 days it would go to foster parents to raise it. We even knew where - in Austria, with our friends at the Richard Faust Centre RFZ.
This is necessary because pairs of Bearded Vultures raise only one small, and the second hatchling often dies in the nest at a very young age - from malnutrition or fratricide.
So closing the borders did not allow our team to travel and had to deal with the situation.
In the last few days, we have been working on a methodology sent to us by the VCF, which initially involves several daily changes of the two small ones in the parent's nest. Subsequently, we reconstructed the nest so that from single, it became double. During the day, both hatchlings are there but separated, and in the evening, we still take in the smaller one to make sure that both are warm - one in the incubator and the other under the warm care of the parents!
Later on, at an older age, we will get the two together, but until then - we go on and ... well, we have to tell you that we are doing pretty well, they even give us as an example!
Unfortunately, the team of the Green Balkans Rescue Centre, as well as the teams of the 39 other centres and zoos included in the Bearded Vulture EEP coordinated by our VCF colleagues, had to urgently reorganize work on the hatchlings of the Bearded Vultures this year!
The "problem" came when the second little one hatched at the Centre. A generally happy event, but at the wrong time! If the circumstances were normal, within 7 to 10 days it would go to foster parents to raise it. We even knew where - in Austria, with our friends at the Richard Faust Centre RFZ.
This is necessary because pairs of Bearded Vultures raise only one small, and the second hatchling often dies in the nest at a very young age - from malnutrition or fratricide.
So closing the borders did not allow our team to travel and had to deal with the situation.
In the last few days, we have been working on a methodology sent to us by the VCF, which initially involves several daily changes of the two small ones in the parent's nest. Subsequently, we reconstructed the nest so that from single, it became double. During the day, both hatchlings are there but separated, and in the evening, we still take in the smaller one to make sure that both are warm - one in the incubator and the other under the warm care of the parents!
Later on, at an older age, we will get the two together, but until then - we go on and ... well, we have to tell you that we are doing pretty well, they even give us as an example!
