Restoring food chains in this area is a flagship project of Rewilding Europe, supported by the European Commission ( LIFE Vultures).Ĭlosing the circle Our main focus will always be to help scavenging species – by boosting the availability of wild herbivore carcasses and thereby closing the circle of life. Similarly, research has shown that in the Eastern Rhodope Mountains, on the Greek-Bulgarian border, the increasing griffon vulture population is sustained significantly (around 60% of the time) by the carcasses of wolf kills. But with the simultaneous growth of Alpine ibex and Alpine chamois populations, the bearded vulture population here (currently some 20 breeding pairs) is now almost completely sustained by the naturally occurring carcasses of these herbivores. At the beginning, birds had to be fed artificially. In an ideal world, scavengers are entirely supported by natural prey and carcasses.Ī perfect example is the reintroduction of the bearded vulture in the Alps, which started 30 years ago. Yet they still interfere with nature and cannot completely replace natural, randomly available carrion that would otherwise support a far more diverse range of species. These stations now contribute to the survival of many vulture populations, and have been important in the reintroduction of vultures (for example in the Grands Causses, French Alps and Pyrenees).Īs a means to an end, such so-called “vulture restaurants” are useful. Since the 1970s, so-called supplementary feeding stations have been set up in southern Europe (and Africa) to ensure the vultures have an adequate supply of carrion. But stricter veterinary regulations mean this food source has also become increasingly unreliable. Yet as the occurrence of wild herbivore carcasses has declined, so these magnificent birds have become increasingly dependent on the carcasses of domesticated animals. In many regions, vultures soaring the sky has become a common sight again. Thanks to reintroductions and species protection, European vulture populations are now slowly but steadily recovering.
At their lowest point, in the 1960s, there were only 2,000 pairs of griffon vultures and 200 pairs of black vultures left in Spain. Yet the decreasing availability of food, coupled with habitat loss, persecution and poisoning, then saw vultures disappear from most European countries (Portugal, France, Italy, Austria, Poland, Slovakia and Romania). Two centuries ago, Egyptian vultures, bearded vultures, black vultures and griffon vultures were among the most common breeding bird species in central and southern Europe.
Vultures are perhaps the most iconic examples of European scavengers the sight of these majestic birds soaring overhead on thermals or feeding at a carcass can be truly captivating. The background information it contains is intended to inform policymakers, as well as other parties interested in expanding their knowledge about this fascinating, essential and often overlooked link in the food chain.
“Through adoption of the Circle of Life, we want to see large carcasses retake their place in nature, allowing Europe’s numerous scavengers to once again eat their fill,” says Frans Schepers, Rewilding Europe’s managing director.Ī Circle of Life brochure provides a practical overview of the possibilities for such an approach, addressing relevant stakeholders such as those managing nature, fauna and roads. This new approach, presented today on International Vulture Awareness Day, is called the Circle of Life. Rewilding Europe, together with Dutch NGO ARK Nature, now want to help Europe’s scavengers by encouraging a fresh look at how herbivore carcasses are managed across the continent. Rewilding Europe and ARK Nature want to help Europe’s scavengers by encouraging a fresh look at how herbivore carcasses are managed across the continent. Denied a natural food source, populations of scavengers are decreasing and dying out.
As a result, much of the biological “waste” has disappeared from the European ecosystem and is no longer part of the natural cycle of life. Wilderness has become arable land, populations of wild grazers are often managed at low densities, and legislation demands the immediate removal of dead livestock. This typical scavenging scene should be a common sight across much of Europe.īut across our continent today, wild carcasses have become a rare commodity. A closer look reveals a diverse cleaning crew of beetles and flies working diligently to process what is left of the large mammal. With an informative publication, Rewilding Europe and ARK Nature present a new way to support Europe’s scavengers.Īs a vulture’s head disappears inside a carcass, a beech marten bares its teeth at a red fox intent on taking a bite of the same carrion.
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