Five vultures have been poisoned in the Central Balkan National Park. The report was filed by the Green Balkans Association, which began receiving "alarm signals" from the transmitter of one of the vultures, which was under surveillance.
When searching the area, park security experts found three black vultures (Aegypius monachus) and one griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus), dead from poisoning. A second griffon vulture was also found in critical condition, which has been provided with emergency veterinary care.
All five birds were found in the area of the park section "Kalofer" – near the winter route Panitse to Botev Peak, which is high in the mountains and difficult to access. They were found next to a cow carcass, in which the poison was probably placed.
A joint inspection of the field is being carried out by the employees of the DNP “Central Balkan“, the Karlovo Police Station, the Plovdiv Regional Directorate of the Fire and Rescue Service and experts from the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds, as well as an ornithologist, a dog handler and a trained poison-finding dog.
The “Environmental and Wildlife Crimes“ Sector at the General Directorate “National Police“ of the Ministry of Interior has also been notified. The field is being checked to determine whether poisons have been placed at other locations, as well as whether there are more dead animals.
An autopsy will be performed on the birds, and such a violation is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and fines of up to 11,000 euros. Programs for the restoration of the populations of these species in Bulgaria have been developing for 30 years, so experts assess the death of the five vultures as an extremely great damage to nature.
In a post on Facebook, the Wildlife Rescue Center of the “Green Balkans“ wrote “This is not just a loss of birds. This is a heavy, devastating blow to the entire Bulgarian nature conservation. Over 30 years of round-the-clock work, sleepless nights, international efforts and enormous hope - collapsed in a matter of hours.“