Latest news with #GriffonVulture
Euronews
25-06-2025
- Science
- Euronews
The Great Bulgarian Vulture Return: Europe turns over a new leaf after centuries of bird persecution
Vultures are a fascinating and extremely useful species. These scavengers play an essential role in ecosystems, feeding on dead animal remains and thus helping to prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses. Yet, for centuries, this animal was persecuted to the point of extinction in many parts of the continent, between the 19th and 20th centuries. A vulture conservation movement emerged in Europe in the 1960s and was made popular by the documentaries of French ornithologist Michel Terrasse. Various reintroduction efforts, supported by the European Union, have since succeeded in returning these fascinating animals to several regions of the continent, such as the Alps and the Pyrenees. Soaring over the Balkan Mountains In two mountainous regions of Bulgaria, successive European LIFE projects helped re-establish the Griffon Vulture in 2010, then the Cinereous Vulture in 2018, decades after they had disappeared. Thanks to European funding, hundreds of birds have been released by the Bulgarian NGOs Fund for Wild Flora & Fauna (FWFF) and Green Balkans, with the support of international partners such as the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF) and the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA). Recently, for the first time, Bulgaria reintroduced three specimens of the Bearded Vulture, Europe's rarest vulture, as part of a LIFE project. It was the last of the four European vulture species still absent from the Bulgarian skies. The Balkan Peninsula is seen by experts as a stepping stone to connect populations of the birds in Europe with those in North Africa and Türkiye, which is important for gene flow. A fragile return These reintroductions require significant conservation efforts to restore habitats, monitor the birds' development and raise awareness among local communities. Vultures remain threatened by lack of food, habitat loss, electrocution from power lines and illegal poisoning — one of the greatest conservation challenges. Some stock breeders even poison carcasses to protect their animals from predators like wolves. Vultures are collateral victims in this. Another LIFE project, called BalkanDetox, aims to strengthen law enforcement, raise awareness among local communities about this illegal practice and improve poison detection. Some of the vultures released are equipped with sensors that track their geolocation and body position in real time. If the bird's position is abnormal, this allows project members to intervene quickly to treat the bird and locate the suspected feeding site. The Birds Directive, adopted in 1979, is one of the oldest environmental laws in the EU and protects all birds living in the European Union. Around 500 bird species call Europe home. Its aim is to halt the decline of species and ensure their long-term prosperity. States must therefore take measures such as banning the hunting of certain species or protecting areas conducive to bird reproduction.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
A Steaming-Hot Volcanic Vent Has Opened Up in Yellowstone
It may be famous for its reliable 'Old Faithful' geyser, but one should never forget that Yellowstone National Park sits on top of a rumbling, dynamic, active supervolcano. Changes are always happening, sometimes spectacularly, sometimes less so. But they're always interesting. Case in point: the discovery of a newly opened volcanic vent, caught in the act of spewing a billowing steam cloud into the air. A scientist spotted the telltale plume in August 2024 and work was undertaken to figure out what it was – and to confirm if it was indeed a new hydrothermal feature. Closer inspection revealed a temperature of 77 degrees Celsius (171 Fahrenheit) and a very thin coating of gray siliceous clay, indicating that the vent itself was newly opened. Although the vent itself is new, it's not necessarily an indicator of new hydrothermal activity. It was found in a region called Roadside Springs, under which sits a large hydrothermal area; underground water heated by the supervolcano that underlies Yellowstone itself. The vent may be related to similar activity that kicked up more than two decades ago. "On March 10, 2003, a similar type of hydrothermal activity was first observed on the other side of the same rhyolite lava flow where the new feature is located, just west of Nymph Lake," Yellowstone Volcano Observatory wrote in a description of the feature. "This hydrothermal activity persists through this day but is much less energetic than when it first formed." It's possible the two regions are connected by an underground reservoir; they are connected by a line of faults that runs from Norris Geyser Basin to the Mammoth Hot Springs. The new vent may also behave the same way. Initially, it belched a thick plume of steam out into the air that persisted over the fall, but gradually diminished by winter. It's still active, it's just not releasing much steam at all. How it changes, and what that can tell us about the underlying region, is going to involve more monitoring work. There is so much going on underneath Yellowstone; it's a hotspot not just for volcanism, but science. For example, the microbes that live around its toxic hot springs can teach us about the extreme adaptations that life will make for survival, and even how life on Earth may have gotten its start. It's also practically shivering with earthquake activity at times, and likes to occasionally throw out random explosions, just to keep us on our toes presumably. Scientists believe that the giant magma reservoir underneath the region is on the move too. Yellowstone truly is a natural wonder, well worth experiencing first hand. Just make sure you watch your step. Male Octopuses Stun Females With Venom to Survive Mating, Study Finds Amazing 15-Million-Year-Old Fish Fossil Found in The Australian Desert New Type of Fossilization Revealed by Griffon Vulture Found in Volcanic Ash
