Breeding and reintroduction of bearded volture (Gypaetus barbatus)

Vultures are a group of predators (Accipitriformes) of the Hawks family. It is a very unique group, which is distinguished from others mainly by its manner of eating and appearance. Vultures do not hunt live prey, but feast on carrion. Typical sign of these great predators is a bare head and long neck. Bearded vulture is not a typical example of a vulture and speculations are held whether it should be classified in the vultures family. Although it feeds on carrions, its head is plumy and it does not stay in groups, but lives as a couple, individually or creates polyandric trios instead. Bearded vulture also lives in inaccessible terrain high in mountains, where its main component of nourishment are bones of farm and wild animals. In the past century population of Bearded vulture greatly declined mainly due to illegal poisoning, decrease of natural habitat and nourishment and due to low natality. Low natality is caused by the fact that in a congeries of two eggs, only one can survive. The other egg functions only as a substitute. If both eggs hatch, the older hatchling exhibits sings of aggression towards the younger hatchling. The parents do not seek to interfere and encourage only the older hatchling. This aggression is an objective of examination of many experts aswell as attempting to prevent it. The Programme Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF) is an organization for vulture retrieval, which associates catteries and zoological gardens that want to participate in the spread of the Bearded vulture population. In the year 1986 this programme started to work and since then made huge steps. In Alps and Pyrenees there has been an increase in the number of individuals that give birth to young every year