Rescuing the strayed Griffon Vulture - rare birds species
Griffon vulture, thanks to conscientious foresters, was saved in the Montenegrin village Opasanica, below the mountain Komovi. In the regular tour of the forest, Boško Milošević encountered a huge bird, which could not fly off. As he could not pick up the bird with a wingspan of three meters by himself, he called his friend, who helped him to transport the griffon vulture to a local man Milo Ilinčić, where the bird was taken care of. For this occasion, the cage was made quickly, where the bird was being fed until the arrival of ornithologists and veterinarians. They transported the bird to the ambulance in Podgorica and concluded that there were no injuries to the wings.
Griffon vulture, after two weeks of recovery at the Centre for Protection and Research of Birds, was set free at the border between Montenegro and Serbia, in order to successfully reach the feeding site for vultures in Uvac, where it came from as is assumed. Center for Protection and Research of Birds of Montenegro, with the help of the colleagues from Slovenia, signed the vulture in ornithological history of Montenegro, as the first bird whose movement will be monitored in real time.
"After successful recovery, the Centre for Protection and Research of Birds, with professional help of the colleague Tomaž Mihelič from the Society for the Protection and Bird Watching Slovenia, equipping the Griffon vulture with satellite transmitters, so that its movement could be followed in real time. In this way vulture Milo was added to ornithological history of Montenegro as the first bird whose movements will be monitored in real time. The transmitter that weighs only 28 grams, and is placed on the back of this magnificent bird has a micro solar panel that is used to power the batteries", it was stated from the Center.
The movement of Milo, as they add, because of its security will not be available in real time, but it will gladly and regularly be reported on its adventures, after a certain lapse of time and the departure from the site on which they report. The procurement of the satellite devices was made possible thanks to the MAVA Foundation.
This is another fine example of saving these rare bird species.
The young forester Boško with his friends is an example of how people and the local community should be related to the nature that surrounds them.
Griffon vultures - the best "cleaners of nature"
Griffon vulture like other species of scavengers feeds with dead animals, thereby reducing the possibility of increasing the number of bacteria or their mutations that affect the spreading of infections, and helps the process of degradation of biological waste. In the world there are 23 species of vultures, and they share the characteristic that they stalk the prey. It is also the most threatened group of animals in the world and it is considered that for a decade, more than half of its species will disappear.
Average lifetime of vultures is 18 years, but certain species live up to 50 years. Small population of vultures is reflected also in their reproductive cycle. Progeny is received once a year and only one egg, and youngster becomes independent only after one year.
In Montenegro, the griffon vultures 20 years ago were nesting in the canyon of the river Cijevna. The reason for the disappearance of this species from the territory of our country is most likely a lack of food, due to reductions in livestock, but poisoning also represents a special threat. Namely, in 2012 in Bratonožići, several vultures died from feeding on carcasses of poisoned wolves.