Cyprus zoo boosts local vulture stocks

Efforts are underway on the island to boost the local vulture stocks, as their numbers are dangerously dwindling.

Limassol Mayor Andreas Christou handed over a vulture egg to Forestry Department officials, saying that the municipality “attaches great significance to this effort”.

This was the fourth time the town’s council has provided the Forestry Department with vulture eggs from Limassol Zoo to breed the species, which is under the threat of extinction.

He said these birds are in danger from poisoned food and material which people leave to control vermin.

“Such practicse result in the extermination of a very useful and important bird for our island, the vulture, and for this reason we appeal to all Cypriots, farmers, shepherds and everybody else not to use poison”, the Mayor added.

Forestry Department official Haris Nicolaou said that the egg will be taken to Paphos for the incubation period which is about ten days. After three months, the newborn vulture will be returned to its parents to become accustomed to its environment and then it will be released into the wild when it is one year old.

“The vulture is a species on the verge of extinction and if no drastic action is taken by the state or by environmental organizations, we will only be able to see vultures in photographs”, he added.

Limassol Zoo vet Lambros Lambrou said that in 20 days another egg is expected by the mother vulture which will be incubated this time by the parents.